JP4966658B2 - Rearview mirror assembly incorporating hands-free telephone components - Google Patents

Abstract

The rearview assembly of the present invention may include any one or more of the following: a housing for attaching to the vehicle, the housing may define an interior space that is acoustically separated into at least two chambers; a first speaker that may be located in a first one of the at least two chambers of the interior space of the housing; a first microphone subassembly located on the top surface of the housing; a second microphone subassembly located on the bottom surface of the housing; a display positioned in the housing; an audio/data transceiver for transmitting and receiving audio and data signals to/from a portable device; and a control circuit for determining whether a portable device having a predetermined identification code is within the range of the audio/data transceiver, and for exchanging data with the portable device through the audio/data transceiver.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to vehicle rearview mirror assemblies, and more particularly to rearview mirror assemblies that incorporate one or more components to provide hands-free telephone applications in vehicles.

  Portable handheld mobile phones have become very popular mainly due to their portability. However, when using a portable hand-held mobile phone in the vehicle, the driver needs to hold the phone and dial the number without holding the handle with both hands. A new problem has arisen that can be distracting and can cause accidents. As a result, some governments have responded by prohibiting the use of handheld mobile phones while driving. Accordingly, the need for hands-free telephones for use in vehicles has increased significantly.

  Hands-free phones have traditionally been built into vehicles, but they are less common mainly because the driver needs to enter into a separate mobile phone service contract with the service provider associated with the vehicle-mounted phone. is not. Drivers will be able to reduce the number of such service contracts by deleting their portable handheld mobile phones, but most people remove vehicle-mounted phones from the vehicle and others I'm reluctant to do so because I can't use it in any place.

  U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002-0032510A1, assigned to the present applicant, installs a microphone and speaker in a rearview mirror assembly along with an audio and data transceiver such as one that implements the “Bluetooth®” protocol. A system that can be used is disclosed. The '510 published patent application further describes a vehicle that brings such a handheld mobile phone into the vehicle when used with a portable handheld mobile phone that is placed in the vehicle and incorporates a similar voice / data transceiver. The occupant can use the microphone and speaker in the rearview mirror assembly as a hands-free phone and at the same time still use the mobile transceiver in the mobile phone, so only a single service contract with the mobile phone service provider Is disclosed.

  When using a vehicle-installed hands-free telephone system, it is generally desirable to use the vehicle's existing audio system as a speaker during a call. This eliminates the need and cost of providing an additional speaker somewhere in the vehicle. However, some vehicle audio systems do not include an audio input jack that would allow the use of speakers by a hands-free telephone system. In addition, even in vehicles equipped with a standard radio with an audio input jack, the vehicle owner may replace the radio with an aftermarket radio that does not include such an input jack. Exists. Furthermore, if the hands-free telephone system is sold as an aftermarket system, it may be difficult to access the audio input jack at the rear of the vehicle radio and route the appropriate wiring. While it may be possible to use audio and data radio connections between the vehicle radio and the hands-free telephone system, many vehicle radios are not currently equipped with audio and data radio transceivers. For these reasons, it may be desirable to incorporate and use an internal speaker within the rearview mirror assembly.

  Providing speakers in the rearview mirror assembly presents several problems. First, the speaker needs to provide a sufficiently large output that is relatively small but clearly audible against typical background noise present in the vehicle. Second, the hand-free microphone will be overloaded when exposed to the speaker output. This overload can cause problems even when switching is used to shut off either the speaker or the microphone. Switching is common in hands-free telephones, but is generally undesirable and can be avoided unless the loudspeaker sounds louder than the driver's speech level on the microphone. Therefore, a rearview mirror incorporating a speaker for use in a hands-free telephone system and incorporating such a speaker in a manner that does not interfere with the sound picked up by a microphone subassembly also disposed on the rearview mirror assembly. There is a need for assembly.

  It has long been desired to improve microphone performance in devices such as communication devices and speech recognition devices that operate under a variety of different ambient noise conditions. A communication device that supports hands-free operation allows the user to communicate through the microphone of the device that is not held by the user. Because of the distance between the user and the microphone, these microphones often detect unwanted noise in addition to the user's speech. It is difficult to attenuate the noise. Vehicle hands-free communication systems are particularly problematic because of the presence of dynamically changing ambient noise. For example, two-way communication systems such as two-way radios, cell phones, and satellite phones are used in vehicles such as cars, trains, airplanes, and ships. For various reasons, the communication devices in these systems are designed so that the user does not have to hold the device while speaking, even in the presence of high levels of ambient noise subject to a wide range of dynamic fluctuations. It is preferable to operate hands-free.

  The two-way communication system includes an audio speaker and a microphone. In order to improve the hands-free performance of a vehicle communication system, the microphone is typically worn near the driver's head. For example, the microphone is typically attached to a vehicle sun visor or ceiling using a fastener such as a clip, adhesive, or hook-and-loop fastener tape (such as a “VELCRO®” brand fastener). Audio speakers associated with the communication system are preferably located away from the microphones to help minimize feedback from the audio speakers to the microphones. For example, the audio speaker is typically placed on a vehicle auxiliary device such as a hanging cup or cigarette lighter plug used to supply activated power from the vehicle electrical system to the communication device. Thus, the designer of the communication system knows the position of the audio speaker in advance, but the position of the microphone is unknown because the user can place the microphone at the position they select. The position of the microphone relative to the person who is speaking will determine the level of the speech signal output by the microphone and may affect the signal-to-noise ratio. The position of the microphone relative to the audio speaker will affect the feedback between the speaker and the microphone. Therefore, the performance of the audio system depends on the installation of the user's microphone. In addition, microphones will typically include wires that are not aesthetically pleasing when attached to a vehicle interior surface. Alternatively, if the wire is mounted behind the inner lining, the interior of the vehicle must be disassembled and then reattached so that the wire can be concealed, which can be annoying It may result in parts that hang loosely from the car frame or the vehicle frame.

  One possible solution to avoiding these problems is the use of a microphone in a mirror-mounted support, United States of America entitled “Vehicle Rearview Mirror and Accessory Mount” granted to Schoffield et al. On June 5, 1990. This is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4,930,742. Placing the microphone on the mirror support provides the system designer with a known microphone position in advance, avoiding the problems associated with mounting the microphone after the vehicle is manufactured, but there are a number of such configurations. There are some disadvantages. Since the mirror is placed between the microphone and the individual speaking into the microphone, an unobstructed direct path from the user to the microphone is excluded. Furthermore, the location of the microphone on the windshield adversely affects the flexibility of the microphone design and the overall noise characteristics of the microphone.

  U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,940,503, 6,026,162, 5,566,224, 5,878,353, and D402,905 are microphones mounted on a mirror bezel. A rearview mirror assembly is disclosed. However, none of these patents disclose the use of multi-directional acoustic ports, nor does it disclose a microphone subassembly or system that uses more than one microphone transducer. The disclosed microphone subassembly does not incorporate sufficient noise suppression components to provide a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio output signal, and has a directional sensitivity pattern or main lobe directed in front of the housing. The microphone which attenuates the signal emitted from the side is not provided.

  U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,732,143, 5,825,897, 4,737,976, 5,835,607, 5,754,665, 5,917,921, Nos. 5,546,458, 5,353,376, and 5,212,764 disclose various hands-free or speech recognition systems for use in vehicles. These systems typically use two or more microphone transducers arranged in a horizontal linear array. Some of the above-mentioned patents disclose the placement of the microphone at or near the vehicle driver's seat, while other patents do not specifically disclose how the microphone is mounted on the vehicle. Some of these patents show microphones located at or around the vehicle ceiling near the windshield. However, none of these patents address the specific problems associated with mounting the microphone subassembly to the rearview mirror assembly.

  PCT publication numbers WO01 / 37519A3, WO02 / 065735A2, and WO03 / 041285A1 assigned to the present applicant disclose various forms of microphone subassemblies integrated into the rearview mirror assembly. Various configurations of microphone subassemblies and their placement and integration within the rearview mirror assembly address a variety of different problems associated with mounting the microphone subassembly onto the rearview mirror assembly. Some of these configurations include a microphone subassembly mounted at the bottom of the rearview mirror assembly, where the microphone subassembly is one or two microphone conversions implanted in both the front and rear of the vehicle. Contained a bowl. In other configurations, the microphone subassembly was mounted on top of the mirror and included one or two microphone transducers. The advantage of mounting the microphone subassembly on the rearview mirror assembly is that noise from the defroster or temperature control system is less prevalent at the top of the rearview mirror assembly. However, the microphone subassembly mounted on top of the rearview mirror assembly is more susceptible to direct laminar airflow from the windscreen defroster. Accordingly, embodiments that use a microphone on top of the rearview mirror assembly incorporate an air deflector or other airflow prevention mechanism. In yet another of the various configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned PCT application, two separate microphone subassemblies are mounted at the rear of the rearview mirror assembly and spaced apart at both ends of the mirror assembly. This configuration provides several advantages, particularly when the output of the microphone is fed to a digital signal processor (DSP).

  A conventional microphone array is composed of two or more microphones having substantially the same characteristics and operating under substantially the same conditions. Such arrays can be linear, biaxial, or even triaxial. In general, linear arrays are used to obtain the maximum profit / cost ratio. Linear arrays can only achieve directional advantages in a plane that includes the centerline axis. Since a linear array cannot distinguish between these planes, a light beam aiming at the driver will also aim at a position cone around the central axis. Only natural transducer directional characteristics are available for distinction. In general, a microphone transducer with a cardioid response curve is used to reduce the rear facing plane. Microphone arrays benefit from their noise reduction by the arrival time alignment for noise coming from the desired speech location and the use of the resulting noise source decorrelation. The assumption is that all decorrelation results from time wander, and noise comes from a different horizontal angle than the desired utterance.

  Prior art array microphones are based on the use of the same basic directional characteristics. This is a requirement that in many cases will add a speech signal when the arrival time is adjusted. The difference in aiming angle will interfere with this addition to the sound coming out of the axis required by the array aiming function. In prior art arrays, microphone transducers should be placed sufficiently close to each other to achieve time alignment by simple maximization of the signal. This prevents a wide interval for the wavelength of the highest frequency sound in the passband. On the other hand, when the wavelength decreases, a sufficiently large separation is often required in order to have significant magnitude differences. The combination of these two effects typically forces the use of more than two transducers to obtain effective array microphone operation throughout the entire voice band.

  In horizontal microphone arrays, there is a direct compromise between reducing noise and hindering desirable speech from occupants in the vehicle. A typical microphone array rejects utterances from passengers as well as noise. Prior art microphone arrays can reject noise from the opposite side of the vehicle cabin, but in doing so, will also reject speech from the rejected occupant. If a conventional horizontal microphone array is placed either along the top of the rearview mirror assembly or at the bottom of the rearview mirror assembly, all microphone transducers will be uncorrelated until there is a difference in arrival times. Would be exposed to the same basic conditions so that there is no existing. Since the distance between the microphone transducers must be relatively narrow, there is a high possibility of noise overlap caused by the influence of flowing air, particularly the influence of flowing air from the vehicle defroster.

  It would be highly desirable to provide a speech recognition system in connection with a vehicle communication system, and most preferably such a system would allow for hands-free operation. Hands-free operation of devices used in speech recognition systems is a particularly difficult application for microphones because the accuracy of speech recognition devices depends on the quality of the electrical signal representing the user's speech. Traditional hands-free microphones can be predicted with the required microphone performance consistency for such applications in controlled environments such as offices as well as in uncontrolled and noisy environments such as automobiles Can't provide sex.

US published patent application number 2002-0032510A1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,742 US Pat. No. 5,940,503 US Pat. No. 6,026,162 US Pat. No. 5,566,224 US Pat. No. 5,878,353 U.S. Patent No. D402,905 US Pat. No. 5,732,143 US Pat. No. 5,825,897 U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,976 US Pat. No. 5,835,607 US Pat. No. 5,754,665 US Pat. No. 5,917,921 US Pat. No. 5,546,458 US Pat. No. 5,353,376 US Pat. No. 5,212,764 US Pat. No. 6,550,949 US Pat. No. 5,448,397 US Pat. No. 6,431,712 US Pat. No. 6,587,573 PCT International Patent Publication Number WO01 / 70538A3 US Pat. No. 6,523,976 US Pat. No. 6,335,548 US Pat. No. 6,441,943 US Patent Application Publication Number US2003 / 0043590A1 US Patent Application Publication Number US2002 / 0110256A1 PCT Application Publication Number WO01 / 37519A2 PCT Public Notice Number WO03 / 041285A1 US Patent Publication Number US2004 / 0196577A1 US Pat. No. 6,653,831 US Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0167121A1 US Pat. No. 5,803,579 US Pat. No. 6,539,306 US Pat. No. 6,132,072 US Pat. No. 6,639,360 US Pat. No. 5,923,027 US Pat. No. 5,837,994 US Pat. No. 6,611,610 US Pat. No. 6,166,698 US Pat. No. 6,356,376 US Pat. No. 6,346,698 US Pat. No. 5,825,527 US Pat. No. 5,745,850 US Pat. No. 6,102,546 U.S. Pat. No. D410,607 US Pat. No. 6,407,468 US Pat. No. 6,420,800 US Pat. No. 6,471,362 US Pat. No. 6,521,916 US Pat. No. 6,670,207 US Patent Publication Number US2004 / 0239243A1 US Pat. No. 6,426,568 US Patent Application Publication Number US2002 / 0024713A1 US Pat. No. 6,313,457 US Pat. No. 6,359,274 US Pat. No. 6,379,013 US Pat. No. 6,402,328 US Patent Application Publication Number US2002 / 0056806A1 US Patent Application Publication Number US2003 / 0127583A1 US Pat. No. 5,883,605 US Pat. No. 5,956,012 US Pat. No. 6,084,700 US Pat. No. 6,222,177 US Pat. No. 6,244,716 US Pat. No. 6,247,819 US Pat. No. 6,249,369 US Pat. No. 6,392,783 US Pat. No. 6,023,229 US Pat. No. 6,140,933 PCT public notice number WO2004 / 076961A2 US Pat. No. 5,990,469 US Pat. No. 6,008,486 US Pat. No. 6,130,421 US Pat. No. 6,130,448 US Pat. No. 6,255,639 US Pat. No. 6,049,171 US Pat. No. 6,403,942 US Pat. No. 6,281,632 US Pat. No. 6,291,812 US Pat. No. 6,469,739 US Pat. No. 6,465,963 US Pat. No. 6,429,594 US Pat. No. 6,587,573 US Pat. No. 6,621,616 US Pat. No. 6,653,614 US Patent Publication Number US2003 / 0107323A1 US Patent Publication Number US2004 / 0008410A1 US Patent Publication Number US2004 / 0021853A1 US Patent Publication Number US2004 / 0143380A1 US Pat. No. 6,313,457 US Pat. No. 6,681,163 US Pat. No. 6,617,564 US Pat. No. 6,262,831 US Pat. No. 6,215,389 US Pat. No. 6,696,935 US Pat. No. 6,861,942 US Pat. No. 6,279,781 US Pat. No. 6,396,446 US Patent Application Publication Number US2002 / 0193946A1 US Pat. No. 6,091,343 US Pat. No. 6,407,712 US Pat. No. 6,170.956 US Pat. No. 6,572,233 US Patent Application Publication Number US2002 / 0154379A1 US Pat. No. 6,467,919

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a rearview mirror assembly is provided for a vehicle, the mirror assembly having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a rear surface, a mirror housing for mounting on the vehicle, a front surface, A mirror disposed in the mirror housing, a first microphone subassembly disposed on the upper surface of the mirror housing, and a second microphone subassembly disposed on the lower surface of the mirror housing.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a housing for mounting to a vehicle forming an acoustically separated interior space in at least two chambers and a first one of the at least two chambers in the interior space of the housing. A rear view assembly is provided that includes a first speaker disposed. The rear view assembly may further include a microphone subassembly disposed at least partially within the second of the above-described at least two chambers in the interior space of the housing. The rear view assembly can additionally or alternatively include a second speaker disposed in a third of the at least two chambers of the interior space of the housing.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a rear view assembly for a vehicle provides a housing for mounting to the vehicle, forming an interior space, and a rear view of the vehicle back view supported by the housing. A front acoustic chamber having a volume of V is formed between the front of the first speaker and the inner surface of the housing, the device comprising: a first speaker disposed in the interior space of the housing; at least one port of the acoustic resistance r _a is provided through the housing in front of the front acoustic chamber, at least one port and front acoustic chamber are configured so as to satisfy the following equation:

ｌ_i＝ポートｉの長さ、
ｄ＝ハウジングの壁厚、
ｐ＝空気の密度（ｇ／ｃｍ³）、
μ＝粘性係数＝空気に対して１．８６ｘ１０^-4、及び、
ｃ＝音速（ｃｍ／ｓｅｃ）である。 here,
f = resonance frequency,
n = number of ports,

l _i = length of port i,
d = wall thickness of housing,
p = air density (g / cm ³ ),
μ = viscosity = 1.86 × 10 ⁻⁴ for air and
c = Sonic velocity (cm / sec).

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, a rear view assembly for a vehicle provides a rear view of a scene behind the vehicle supported by the housing and a housing for mounting to the vehicle, forming an interior space. And a first speaker disposed in the interior space of the housing, wherein a front acoustic chamber is formed between the front of the first speaker and the inner surface of the housing, and at least one port comprises: Provided through the housing in front of the front acoustic chamber, the at least one port and the front acoustic chamber are configured such that the first speaker exhibits a resonant frequency comprised in the range of about 2,000 Hz to 4,000 Hz. The

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle rear view assembly provides an image of the scene behind the vehicle driver. The rear view assembly includes a housing for attachment to a vehicle, a display disposed within the housing, an audio / data transceiver associated with the housing for receiving wireless audio and data signals from devices adjacent to the vehicle, and a housing And a controller coupled to the display and the audio / data transceiver and controlling the display to indicate the presence of a wireless connection to a device adjacent to the vehicle.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle rear view assembly provides an image of the scene behind the vehicle driver. The rearview assembly is associated with a mounting structure for mounting on a vehicle and a mounting structure for transmitting and receiving wireless audio and data signals to / from portable devices having similar audio / data transceivers. Voice / data transceiver and a control circuit coupled to the voice / data transceiver and operating in pairing mode and operating mode, during the pairing mode, the control circuit is paired with the voice / data transceiver During the operating mode, the control circuit determines whether the portable device containing the unique identification code is within range of the voice / data transceiver And exchange data with the portable device through the voice / data transceiver and during the operating mode, the control circuit also detects that it is not paired with the voice / data transceiver. It has been to prevent the exchange of certain data with the portable device.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle rear view assembly provides an image of the scene behind the vehicle driver. The rear view assembly includes a mounting structure for mounting on a vehicle, a voice / data transceiver for transmitting and receiving voice and data signals to / from a mobile phone, and voice signals to the voice / data transceiver. A hand-free microphone associated with the mounting structure for providing, at least one hand-free speaker for receiving audio signals from the audio / data transceiver, and a control circuit coupled to the audio / data transceiver The control circuit determines whether a mobile phone having a predetermined identification code is within the range of the voice / data transceiver, and the control circuit also uses a hand-free microphone and a hand-free speaker. The control circuit is also configured to establish a priority between the mobile phones to communicate with the mobile phone through the voice / data transceiver. And the control circuit also allows the mobile phone with the highest priority through the voice / data transceiver to have the utterance picked up by the hand-free microphone. Allows to be sent to the phone.

  These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.

  Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible throughout the drawings, the same reference numbers will be used below to refer to the same or like parts.

  As described above, the present invention relates to a vehicle rear view assembly that incorporates some or all of the components of a vehicle communication and control system. As used herein, a “rear view assembly” is a structure that provides an image of a driver's rear view. When implemented generally, such a rear view assembly includes a suitably positioned mirror. The rear view assembly may additionally or alternatively include an electronic display that displays video sensed by a camera or other image sensor (eg, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference). US Pat. No. 6,550,949 assigned to Applicant, entitled “Systems and Components for Enhancing Rear View from Vehicles” filed on September 15, 1998 by Frederick T. Bauer et al. No.) Thus, the “rear view assembly” need not include mirror elements. In the embodiments described below, a rearview mirror assembly is shown and described. However, it will be appreciated that such embodiments may be modified to include a display and no mirror elements.

  As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, certain aspects of the present invention may be implemented in vehicle accessories other than rear view assemblies, such as overhead consoles, sun visors, A-pillar trim panels, instrument panels, and the like. Can do. For these implementations, the following description relating to a rearview mirror assembly is provided for illustrative purposes without otherwise limiting the scope of the present invention to such a rear view assembly.

Rear View Assembly Configuration An example of an internal rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, 2 and 3. Although the illustrated rearview mirror assembly 10 is shown to be designed for direct mounting on a vehicle windshield, the rearview mirror assembly 10 can alternatively be mounted on a vehicle roof.

  In general, the rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror housing 30 having a wide range of possible designs, for example as taught and claimed in US Pat. No. 5,448,397. The rearview mirror assembly also includes a mirror 40 mounted on the mirror housing 30 and a mounting bracket 35 that attaches the mirror housing 30 to the vehicle. The mounting bracket generally includes a mounting leg 36 that is mounted directly to the vehicle, and a mirror handle 38 that extends between the mounting leg 36 and the mirror housing 30. The structure of the mounting leg 36 and the mirror handle 38 can vary greatly from one rear mirror assembly to another. For example, the mirror handle 38 can be pivotally attached to the attachment leg 36 or can be fixedly attached to the attachment leg 36. Further, the mirror housing 30 is usually pivotally attached to the mirror handle 38. Such pivoting attachment allows the mirror position to be moved so that the driver can clearly see the back of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, the mirror housing 30 is fixed to the mirror handle 38 using bolts 37 and washers 39. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable means can be used to mount the mirror housing 30 to the mirror handle 38. At the same time, the mirror housing 30, the mirror bracket 35, and the optional mounting housing 154 form a mounting structure for securing the mirror to the vehicle.

  The disclosed rearview mirror assembly may also include one or more displays such as displays 45a and 45b housed within the mirror housing 30 or housed in the mounting legs 36. As shown in FIGS. 1C-E, the mirror housing 30 includes a mirror casing 31 and a bezel 32 attached to the mirror casing 31 to secure the mirror 40 and all other components within the mirror housing 30. be able to.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary mechanical configuration of the mirror housing 30 of the rearview mirror assembly 10. As shown, in or on the mirror housing 30 is a mirror element 40, a first printed circuit board 110, an optional second printed circuit board 112, a first RF antenna 114, an optional second RF. Components such as antenna 116 and optional single or double map lamps such as first and second map lamps 118a and 118b are mounted. The microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b can be mounted on the rear, bottom and / or top of the mirror housing 30. Preferably, the first microphone subassembly 140 a is mounted on the upper portion of the housing 30, and the second microphone subassembly 140 b is mounted on the lower portion of the housing 30. Microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b are described in more detail below under the heading "Microphone Subassembly". The rearview mirror assembly may also include first and second speakers 400a and 400b, which are described in more detail below under the heading "Speakers".

  The antennas 114 and 116 are shown in a generally linear shape oriented horizontally (as if true if the antenna was a strip antenna), but these RF antennas may be helical antennas, or Those skilled in the art will recognize that any suitable form may be taken to implement a function, as described in more detail below. An example of a helical antenna that is particularly well suited for mirror housing applications is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,431,712, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, either one or both of the antennas 114 and 116 can be mounted outside the rearview mirror assembly. Preferably, the antenna 114 is provided in conjunction with a wireless RF transceiver that includes both audio and data channels. Such voice / data transceivers preferably transmit and receive data using the standardized “Bluetooth” protocol.

  Where provided, the antenna 116 is for remote keyless input (RKE), tire pressure monitoring, wireless toll payment, AM / FM radio, mobile phone service, telematics system, trainable garage door opener, etc. Can serve as an antenna.

  Antennas 114 and 116 can be mounted at different locations on the rearview mirror assembly or can be mounted anywhere in the vehicle. For example, the antenna can be mounted in a mounting housing 154 (described below) along with a GPS or other satellite antenna. Such an arrangement is disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0032510A1, assigned to the present applicant.

  The mirror 40 is preferably an electro-optic mirror such as an electrochromic mirror. The rearview mirror assembly 10 further includes a plurality of user push buttons 130, a glare sensor 124, an ambient light sensor 126, one or more LED indicators 152, a camera, a compass sensor, a rain sensor, a skylight sensor, a satellite antenna, An optional mounting housing 154 attached to the mirror mount can be included in which the cell phone antenna and / or other components can be mounted. Accordingly, the housing 154 houses an array of image sensors for automatically controlling the beam pattern of vehicle exterior light (ie, low beam headlamps, high beam headlamps, daytime running lights, fog lights, etc.). Can be provided. A more detailed description of such a subassembly and how it can be mechanically attached to a rearview mirror assembly is given in Joseph S., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. US Pat. No. 6,587,573 assigned to the present applicant entitled “System for Controlling External Vehicle Rays” filed Mar. 5, 2001, filed by Stam et al. And PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 01 / 70538A3.

  As best shown in FIG. 1D, mounting housing 154 includes an opening for skylight sensor 129 that senses the level of ambient light in the sky slightly above the vehicle. In addition, a window 155 is provided for the camera to receive light rays from the front scene being imaged. As described in more detail in the above referenced patent specification, the mounting housing 154 is secured to the mounting leg 36 of the mounting bracket 35.

  FIG. 3 shows a detailed inner shell of the casing 31 of the mirror housing 30. The view shown in FIG. 3 shows a view of the casing shell as viewed from the direction in which the mirror is normally positioned so as to see a view of the interior of both sides and the rear of the housing 30. The housing should be configured so that various components can be easily assembled to the mirror housing 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the mirror housing 30 includes a number of reinforcing ribs 164 and 164 a that extend radially outward from the center of the opening 162 a in which the ball of the handle 38 is received by the hub 162. As will be described in more detail below, the inner portion of the mirror casing 31 is acoustically separated into three or more acoustic zones, two of which are formed with respect to the speakers 400a and 400b, and the third zone is a microphone. An inner wall 163 may be provided to be formed for the subassembly.

  As described in more detail below, the center of the mirror housing 30 is substantially flat, providing a flat surface 301 on which the microphone subassembly 140a can be mounted. The rim behind the surface 301 includes an air deflector plate 300 as further described below. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an opening 302 is provided in the plane 301 to accommodate the microphone subassembly 140a. Surrounding the opening 302 is a reinforcing rib 303, which adds structural integrity to the mirror housing 30, provides sufficient support for the microphone subassembly 140a, and the microphone subassembly 140a. Accommodates a tab extending from the bottom of the microphone subassembly 140a so that the can be snapped into the opening 302. A similar opening is preferably provided in the housing 30 for mounting the second microphone subassembly 140b in the lower portion of the housing.

  The mirror housing 30 preferably includes an opening (not shown) through which a connector receptacle attached to the connector cable 85 can be attached and detached. As described further below, an additional opening 126 a is formed in the housing 30 so that light strikes the ambient light sensor 126.

  A plurality of switches (not shown) are mounted at positions corresponding to the push buttons 130 on the front surface of the first circuit board 110. The push button 130 may include an inwardly extending plunger that, when a user presses the push button 130, presses against the actuator in the switch. The displays 45a and 45b are mounted on the circuit board 110 or an associated daughter circuit board so that they can be viewed from behind the mirror 40 or from a position adjacent to the mirror 40 in the bezel portion.

  As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, with all electronic circuitry and microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b properly attached to the mirror casing 31 and appropriate electrical connections made, the mirror 40 is open to the mirror casing 31. The bezel portion 32 can be snapped into place at a predetermined position across the opening of the mirror casing 31. Alternatively, mirror 40 and bezel portion 32 can be preassembled and then snapped together in place as a unit.

  Map lamp 118a is disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 6,523,976 and 6,335,548, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Preferably, it is made using a white light emitting LED. In addition, as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 6,441,943 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003 / 0043590A1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A heat sink can be provided.

Microphone Subassembly The microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b used in the present invention may or may not be attached to the rearview mirror assembly. For reasons explained below, it is desirable to attach the microphone subassembly to the rearview mirror assembly. If the microphone subassembly is not attached to the rearview mirror assembly, it may be incorporated into or attached to the vehicle ceiling, overhead console, sun visor, A-pillar seat, door panel, handle, console, or instrument panel, wired or wireless signal Can be communicatively coupled to components in the rearview mirror assembly. When the microphone is attached after the vehicle is manufactured and fixed to the ceiling or sun visor, the position of the microphone can be changed depending on where the user fixes. The possibility of such variability makes optimal system design very difficult. The position of the microphone relative to the person who speaks determines the level of the speech signal output by the microphone and may affect the signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, the position of the microphone relative to the audio speaker used for hands-free operation will include an effect on the feedback between the speaker and the microphone. Therefore, the performance of the audio system is easily affected by the position where the user attaches the microphone. Furthermore, the wire connecting the microphone to the rearview mirror (if any) is usually not aesthetically pleasing. Alternatively, if the wire is attached to the back side of the inner lining material, the interior of the vehicle must be disassembled and reattached so that the wire can be concealed, which can be noisy or rattling or from the vehicle frame May result in loose and sagging parts.

  The microphone subassembly mounted on the mirror housing receives not only the direct sound from the driver but also the sound reflected from the windshield. When the microphone subassembly is attached to the bottom of the mirror housing, the time difference between the arrival of direct sound and the arrival of reflected sound may be greater than when the microphone subassembly is attached to the top of the mirror housing . When the arrival times are far enough apart, the resulting combination produces a frequency response with a series of frequencies with no output. These sequences are often called "comb effects" because they resemble combs when plotted.

  Mounting the first microphone subassembly 140a on top of the mirror housing prevents the comb effect in the desired passband. The distance between the windshield and the upper part of the mirror housing is much shorter than the distance between the windshield and the lower part of the mirror housing, so that the reflected sound is accurately added to the direct sound and is louder than the other Produce a version of the direct speech that is not affected in point, and the end result is a higher signal-to-noise ratio and better quality. These are very important attributes in hands-free telephone communication and voice recognition in a vehicle environment.

  The problem with mounting the microphone subassembly to the top or back of the mirror housing stems from the fact that the microphone subassembly is too close to the windshield. When the windscreen defroster is activated, a layer of air travels upward along the windscreen. Thus, when the microphone subassembly is placed on the back or top of the mirror housing, they are exposed to more airflow as the air from the defroster passes between the mirror housing and the window beyond the microphone subassembly. Is done. This air flow creates turbulence as it passes over the microphone subassembly, creating a significant amount of noise.

  In order to solve this problem, when a microphone subassembly, for example, the microphone subassembly 140a is mounted on the upper part of the rearview mirror housing, the second microphone subassembly 140b is mounted on the lower part of the mirror housing 30, and The first is to ensure that at least one is not exposed to this problem. As an additional measure, deflection plates disclosed in commonly assigned US patent application publication number US2002 / 0110256A1 and PCT application publication number WO01 / 37519A2 may be used. The entire disclosures of these two patent documents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This deflector plate (shown as 300 in the drawing) extends upward from the rear of the mirror housing 30 and smoothly deflects the air flow from the defroster onto and / or to the side of the microphone subassembly so that the air The air flow does not affect the transducer or generate any turbulence as the flow passes over and next to the microphone subassembly 140a. Since the air flow is expected to enter primarily at the rear of the microphone subassembly 140a, the deflector 300 is designed to redirect the air with minimal impact on the frequency response of the microphone subassembly. This is important for high clarity in the automotive environment.

  The two transducers, microphone assemblies 140a and 140b, form an array in which one transducer is placed on top of the mirror housing 30 and the other transducer is placed on the bottom. Both are designed to take full advantage of these situations where they function better. Such an arrangement creates a certain condition when one of the two transducers will have little noise for the preferred condition.

  The present invention provides an excellent microphone for a rearview mirror assembly. It takes advantage of the unique properties of the rearview mirror assembly and addresses the problem of capturing good audio in the difficult environment of a vehicle cab. Microphones need to deal with noise from effects such as flowing air, acoustic sources such as defrosters, and comb effects that distort the resulting response.

  The present invention optimizes microphone performance by supporting optimal digital signal processing (DSP) conditions. The DSP uses the difference between the noise and the desired utterance to remove the noise from the utterance. In general, the desired utterance is enhanced through correlation. In other words, the utterance of the output signal of one microphone subassembly is added to the utterance of the other.

  Noise is reduced by the use of decorrelation. The same conditions for adding speech signals are those that increase or even decrease the noise signal. In a typical array microphone, the primary noise decorrelation comes from the arrival time or delay required to correlate the desired utterance. The present invention adds another dimension to obtain noise decorrelation. This is a result of including individual microphones with significantly different conditions. From a noise standpoint, there is a very high degree of decorrelation regardless of the difference in arrival times.

  If neither microphone has significant speech content, the biggest problem for the microphone array appears. The present invention ensures that in almost all situations one of the two microphone assemblies will have a good signal-to-noise ratio (S / N) for a given noise condition and / or narrow frequency band. Thus, in general, there will be significant utterances in at least one channel for the DSP to analyze, but a particular channel may vary with frequency or condition.

  Consider the air flow in the defroster. In general, the top mounted microphone will hit the air flow of the defroster, while the bottom mounted microphone is not. Conversely, the lower mounted microphone directly hits the air from the central vent, while the upper mounted microphone is protected by the mirror body. In a similar manner, HF noise from one location in the vehicle compartment efficiently enters the microphone subassembly, which tends to be blocked by the mirror housing in another microphone subassembly. Since the mirror housing body is not exactly in the middle, the difference is greater than when the left or right mounted microphone subassembly is used.

  If the rear view assembly uses speakers, the speakers should preferably be placed at a distance from the microphone subassembly to mitigate overload. The horizontal center arrangement allows both microphones to have a maximum average distance to the two speakers.

  Yet another advantage when working with speakers is that acoustic echo cancellation is easier. In echo cancellation, the input audio signal sent to the speaker is subtracted from the microphone signal. In order to achieve all desired rejection, the input signal and the resulting signal should be first correlated with each other and then subtracted. A common distance between both microphones and both speakers means that only one arrival time offset should be made (if the speakers are well spaced). As disclosed below, the loudspeaker can be driven at 180 degrees out of phase. This causes the two acoustic signals to be null at the two central microphone positions, both of which are considered to have the same transfer function. Due to the relatively large separation of the speakers on the mirror assembly, the HF part of the band can take advantage of this without causing unacceptable loudness.

  Eventually, the microphone assembly placed on the acoustic reflecting surface such as the ceiling is subjected to a comb-like effect. The sound arriving from the reflective surface arrives later and is either enhanced with direct sound or null. The null part is narrower and deeper than the strengthened part. Since the lower mounting microphone subassembly 140b is farther from the reflecting surface, nulls are generated at a lower frequency than the upper mounting microphone subassembly 140a. When added, the depression is filled and the response improves. These complex differences are direction dependent and add an additional dimension to the noise-to-speech correlation when the DSP is utilized by readjustment of the utterance correlation.

  As mentioned above, in conventional horizontal microphone arrays, there is a direct compromise between reducing cabin noise and compromising the use of the occupant system. The vertical array of the present invention advantageously allows all occupant utterances to be received as desired utterances to eliminate this compromise while still addressing the location of noise.

  The vehicle defroster generates both acoustic noise and flowing air noise sources. Acoustic noise is detected from just below, the rear, and the center of the mirror housing. In the case of a conventional array for using array processing to reduce this noise, the array needs to form a beam at the driver that includes a virtual beam with little central area. Most of the noise reduction comes from the inherent transducer directional characteristics. The upper and lower arrays of the present invention can form a beam on the left side (on the driver), causing the occupant to be on the right side of the virtual beam. The defroster is placed away from the beam by a significant angle so that there is a sufficient level of noise removal from the defroster.

  The air of the defroster generally does not affect the lower part, and since there is an upper deflection plate, it affects the upper part in any case different from the lower part. The resulting decorrelation of flowing air noise and the presence of a single channel with the inherently low defroster noise ensures that there is little air noise flowing at the final output. Conventional horizontal arrays expose all transducers all at the top or all at the bottom to the same basic conditions, so there is no decorrelation until there is a difference in arrival times. Since the spacing must be relatively small, there is a great possibility that the effects of flowing air will overlap.

  An aspect of the construction of the present invention is the use of a mirror housing body such that the head is used in a biological model (in this case it looks as if the head is on its side). A typical mirror housing body is ideal for a DSP with a depth of 3.5 inches, and the mirror housing body is not really offset when the microphone subassembly is at the top, bottom, or rear. Located between them. The mirror body completely blocks the flow of HF and air, resulting in significant noise correlation differences.

  Speech sounds arrive with almost no time offset, but noise arrives with a significant offset. It is easier to align the utterances in time and still provide a very effective noise decorrelation.

  One advantage inherent in the upper and lower arrays of the present invention is the degree of decorrelation. The above advantages can be extended by adding left and right orientations. Preferably, the maximum sensitivity lobe of the transducer of the lower microphone subassembly is aimed in a substantially left direction and the maximum sensitivity lobe of the transducer of the upper microphone subassembly is aimed at a similar angle in another direction. Can be adjusted. Therefore, there is a difference in the left-right direction as well as a difference in arrival time in the vertical direction. In some cases, the reverse (the upper transducer lobe is directed to the left) may be better, so both situations should be considered desirable.

  The aspect between the sides allows the DSP to be separated by a horizontal angle using the amplitude difference in direction. Furthermore, this helps the DSP to determine the driver's utterance from the utterances of the front seat passengers. Thus, front seat passengers can be treated as desirable speech or unwanted interference.

  The bottom-mounted microphone transducer is optimally oriented to the left because the bottom receives better at maximum frequency. Since the missing driver's high frequency is a problem, turning the lower part to the left optimally captures the driver's high frequency. The advantages of the top mounted microphone subassembly are maintained and the energy received by the top mounted subassembly 140a tends to dominate at medium and high frequencies.

  It should be noted that the configuration of one single microphone subassembly can be used to act on both the upper and lower subassemblies by placing it on the reversal surface and reversing the aiming direction. At present, the preferred angle is about 45 degrees. A preferred microphone subassembly configuration is further described below in connection with FIGS. 4-11.

  Using DSP (digital signal processing), it is possible to automatically select the best of the two speech signals generated by the two microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b. This can be done on a narrowband or broadband basis. It is also possible to use time and phase differences to eliminate signals outside the angular difference using two microphone subassemblies. The usual way to use two or more microphones is to create a linear array in a plane that spans the top or bottom of the mirror. This creates a beam that focuses in a plane perpendicular to the line between the microphones. This beam is focused to the left, eliminating noise and occupant speech. The defroster and air conditioner in the dashboard are known to be sound sources. Depending on the structure of the HVAC, the microphone subassembly at the top or bottom of the mirror housing 30 will recognize a large level of air flow, but both the top or bottom subassembly will rarely recognize the same level of noise. Absent. The present invention is also particularly well suited for compatible use when the noise level at the top of the mirror housing 30 is significantly different from the level at the bottom.

  By placing microphone subassemblies at the top and bottom of the mirror housing 30, several potential benefits are realized. The beam formed using two microphones can now be directed left and right. The removal of noise under the mirror is greater because all noise is outside the beam. Noise from the defroster or air conditioner differs between the two microphones at the top and bottom of the mirror housing 30. This difference can be used to eliminate airflow noise to the microphone.

  The microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b can be substantially identical. Only one of the two microphone subassemblies is shown and described in detail. The microphone subassembly 140a includes a microphone housing 215, a transducer 225, and a circuit board 226. The microphone housing 215 (FIGS. 4-6) is generally rectangular, although the housing can have a generally square footprint, an elongated oval or rectangular footprint, or any other shape desired by the microphone designer. . The microphone housing 215 includes a front port 216 that faces upward and a rear port that faces downward. Ports 216 and 218 provide an audio path through the microphone housing. Ports 216 and 218 may include any suitable opening shape or size. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-11, the microphone housing 215 includes four front ports 216a-216d provided on the front surface of the microphone housing 215 (ie, the side of the housing facing upward). , Four rear ports 218a-218d provided on the rear surface of the microphone housing 215 (ie, the side of the housing facing downward). The front part and the rear part have the same shape and position, and are preferably symmetric. Although four ports are shown on each of the front and rear of the microphone housing, the number of ports can be different (ie, there can be three ports on each of the front and rear of the microphone housing 215), Such ports may additionally be provided at the top of the microphone housing, such as the slotted ports disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0110256 A1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. It will be appreciated that it can be done.

  The microphone housing 215 also includes a resilient mounting tab 240 for insertion into an opening (not shown) in the rear surface of the mirror housing 30, thereby securing the microphone subassembly 140 a to the mirror housing 30. For example, the tab cross-sectional shape can be generally L-shaped for insertion into the mirror housing 30. Alternatively, the tab 240 is an elongated snap connector that slides into an opening (not shown) in the rear surface of the mirror housing and engages the inner surface of the mirror housing 30 after being fully inserted and snaps into place. be able to. The microphone housing 215 can be a monolithic plastic, stamped metal, or any other suitable product.

  The transducers 225 used in the microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b are preferably substantially symmetric. The transducer 225 can be any suitable conventional transducer such as an electret, piezoelectric, or capacitor transducer. The converter can be, for example, an American-style Matsushita (operated as Panasonic) or an electret-type converter such as that commercially available from Primo, and in an advantageous embodiment, a unidirectional converter. can do. If an electret type transducer is used, the transducer can be properly tuned to better maintain the transducer characteristics throughout the lifetime of the microphone subassembly. For example, the diaphragm of the converter 225 can be fired prior to assembly into the converter.

  Circuit board 226 includes a conductive layer on one of its etched surfaces and is electrically connected to the leads of transducer 225. The leads of the transducer can be connected to a pretreatment circuit that can be attached to the conductive layer of the circuit board 226. The pre-processing circuit can be mounted on the circuit board 226 of the microphone housing, but such a circuit can alternatively be mounted on the circuit board of the mirror housing 30 as well as other circuits such as a digital signal processor (DSP). In addition, in the case of an electro-optic mirror, such as electrochromic mirror 40, the circuit can be mounted on a circuit board 110 that is common to the mirror's electrical components, or the circuit and mirror's electrical It will be appreciated that the components can be mounted on separate circuit boards within the mirror housing. Furthermore, such processing circuitry can be located anywhere in the vehicle such as a mirror assembly mount, overhead console, windowed console, A-pillar, or other location. Such processing and preprocessing circuitry is disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2002-0110256-A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  The electrical connection between the transducer leads and the pre-processing circuit or other processing circuit is preferably a wire trace in the conductive layer of the circuit board formed by conventional means such as etching and the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board. And vias extending through. The circuit board can include holes for receiving posts on the microphone housing 215. Such posts are thermally fixed to the circuit board after the posts are inserted therethrough through the holes in the circuit board, as will be described in detail later herein, and the contacts of the circuit board 226 are connected to the microphone housing 215. It can be fixed to ensure that the microphone subassembly provides an acoustically isolated audio channel between the transducer 225 and the ports 216 and 218.

  To assemble the microphone subassembly 140a, the transducer 225 is first attached to the circuit board 226. As will be described in detail below, an acoustic dam 230 (FIGS. 7-11) is preferably inserted between the circuit board 226 and the microphone housing 215. The transducer 225, i.e., the circuit board 226, is then secured to the microphone housing 215 using an acoustic dam therebetween.

  The microphone transducer 225 is preferably mounted sideways through a hole 234 formed in the printed circuit board 226. Thus, a portion of the transducer 225 will extend below the lower surface of the circuit board 226 and a portion will also extend above the upper surface of the circuit board 226. Mounting the transducer in this direction and position with respect to the circuit board provides several advantages. First, electrical contacts on the transducer can be soldered directly to traces on the printed circuit board. This eliminates the need to connect normal wires to the converter contacts, and then manually connect the wires to the circuit board. Therefore, the converter can be mounted on the circuit board using a conventional circuit board component mounting apparatus.

  Another advantage of mounting the transducers in that way is that, as they extend above and below the printed circuit board, one side of the circuit board can include a conductive layer that serves as a ground plane. Such a ground plane can shield the transducer from electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may be caused by other components in the rearview mirror assembly or other components in the vehicle. Such EMI can cause significant noise in the signal delivered by the transducer. In a preferred embodiment, each transducer is mounted on a circuit board that includes a conductive ground plane that faces the active portion of the transducer, while circuit components are mounted on the opposite side.

  The microphone subassembly 140a further includes a windshield 245 that protects the transducer and circuit board from the ambient environment. The windshield 245 is preferably made of a hydrophobic, heat sensitive fiber and is glued to the lower side and inner surface of the microphone housing 215 across the ports 216 and 218. The microphone housing 215 is preferably closely bonded around the circuit board 226 and provides a water impermeable container for the transducer 225.

While it has been common in conventional microphones to minimize windscreen acoustic resistance by increasing the porosity of the windshield, the microphone subassembly of the present invention, in an advantageous manner, is advantageously Not only reduces the porosity of the glass and still obtains good water resistance, but also improves the acoustic properties of the microphone subassembly and uses a windshield with higher acoustic resistance. The use of windshields with high acoustic resistance is particularly advantageous when the microphone subassembly is mounted on the rearview mirror assembly, as it can cause significant noise from the windscreen defroster. More particularly, the windshield 245 can increase acoustic resistance to at least about 1 acoustic ohm / cm ² , preferably has an acoustic resistance of at least about 2 acoustic ohm / cm ² , more preferably It has an acoustic resistance of at least about 8 to 9 acoustic ohms / cm ² . Further, as will be described in more detail below, the acoustic resistance of the windshield 245 can be varied, as well as the directionality and porosity of the microphone subassembly.

  All effects received by the transducer as a result of placement of the transducer on the vehicle accessory using two microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b sealed in separate housings and having their own windshield on the microphone accessory 225 The windshield port and acoustic resistance can be different for different microphone subassembly transducers to compensate for For example, when one microphone subassembly (ie, 140a) is placed closer to the windshield as a result of the tilt of the mirror housing 30, its polarity pattern is slightly different from the pattern of the microphone subassembly 140b. be able to. Therefore, by selecting the appropriate microphone housing design / port configuration and windshield resistance, the difference effect due to the transducer arrangement of the two assemblies can be used to achieve the desired polarity pattern and other characteristics of the transducer. Can be compensated for by Although the windshield has been described above as being comprised of hydrophobic fibers, it will be appreciated that the windshield can be molded integrally with the microphone housing port. Such an array simplifies the manufacture of microphone subassemblies by requiring fewer components and fewer steps of manufacture. Furthermore, it is believed that it is likely to provide a more efficient seal between the windshield and the microphone housing.

  A laser trim tab can be added to the gain stage connected to each transducer to attempt to obtain the desired sensitivity accuracy for the transducer. The transducer can then be acoustically excited by a calibrated sound source and the output of the transducer is monitored. The laser trim tab is then trimmed to set the gain accurately, thereby obtaining accurate sensitivity accuracy.

  An acoustic dam 230 can be used to obtain sufficient benefits by mounting the microphone subassembly to the upper and lower surfaces of the mirror housing 30. This is preferably because the microphone subassembly is retracted into the mirror housing and protects the rear port 218 from direct air impingement by the defroster airflow. This configuration, in turn, adds a delay to the voice arriving at the rear port, reducing the effective “D”. Sound traveling from the rear to the front takes some additional time and arrives at the rear port. Differences in arrival at the front or back form a phase difference that produces nulls. This difference decreases and changes the resulting null angle. In other words, the microphone should be made more directional to have an accurate and obvious directional characteristic when retracted to the rear of the mirror housing.

  All prior art assumes that the transducer portion is free within the confinement shell. In other words, the sound wave passes by the transducer and the transducer responds to the sound wave as a passing wave. In the case of “D” expansion, most of the available pressure differential from these passing waves occurs. This is used to compensate for the reduced wave intensity due to the effects of the external shell port resistance.

  The acoustic dam 230 does not function like a “D” expansion, but rather creates an additional pressure differential that effectively injects acoustic energy into the transducer. This is achieved by dividing the interior space into acoustic regions. This is the external “D” difference between these regions, which causes the pressure difference to increase.

  For example, the dam 230 is defined by an outer grille that affects a particular area because the transducer 225 passes through a hole in the dam 230, one side of which is the virtual front of the transducer and the other is the back. Forming a region. The center of the port supplying each area acts like a microphone port of that size. In other words, if these ports are 1 inch apart from the average, the microphone has a 1 inch effective external “D”. The virtual aiming direction is also determined by the center of this region position. In other words, if the microphones are aligned straight, but the two virtual ports are rotated 45 degrees, the aiming point for the actual microphone will be rotated 45 degrees.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-11, when dividing the acoustic chamber formed by the housing 215 and the circuit board 226, the dam 230 does not completely separate the area it forms. This equalizes the pressure between the areas. The flowing air creates a different pressure within each zone. By connecting these areas, this pressure difference is reduced. This connection does not affect the difference in acoustic pressure because the difference in acoustic pressure is the result of a consistent external pressure difference and the noise of the flowing air is close to the DC phenomenon. The length of the dam 230 relative to the open acoustic chamber area determines the weighting factor of the external ports 216 and 218. Ports near or above the open area 232 have little influence on the virtual “D”, while those farthest from the opening 232 have the strongest influence. As a result, the dam width can be used to tailor the design to optimize the desired directional pattern and the elimination of flowing air. The best ratio is from 50% dam to 90% dam.

  The dam extends and generally acoustically seals the thin thickness dimension of the microphone housing 215. Any gap near the center of the dam area will cross-equalize the pressure difference, thereby reducing the difference perceived by the transducer. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 7-9 and 11, the groove forming member 250 is mounted on the circuit board 226 so as to receive and hold the acoustic dam 230 and thereby ensure an acoustic seal between the dam and the circuit board. Provided. Similarly, a groove 252 can be provided in the upper inner surface of the microphone housing 215 and a dam 230 can be used to receive, hold and create an acoustic seal. Epoxy can be added between them to enhance the acoustic seal of the dam 230 near the periphery of the transducer 225.

  The general utility of providing such a dam 230 in combination with a very high acoustic resistance windshield was assigned to the applicant, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This is described in more detail in PCT Publication Number WO03 / 041285A1.

  There are several useful variants for basic dams. These include the formation of more than two zones that support more than one transducer within a single outer housing. Since these areas are acoustically as far away as the external ports, a single housing can hold multiple transducers, gain the benefits of a large nitration volume, and still be acoustically oriented As far as the sexual characteristics are concerned, each transducer has its own function as if it were a separate housing of its own. It will be appreciated that the acoustic dam 230 can be an integral extension of the circuit board microphone housing, rather than being a separate component.

  Acoustic dam design frees the designer from the compromises of the prior art. Larger housings can be used and still act as some smaller ones. The transducer can be directed inside different from the aiming direction of the external microphone without using ducts that impair the higher frequency characteristics.

  One aspect derived from this design is the ability to create a highly directional microphone that includes attributes that do not change with frequency to the extent that a conventional microphone includes. In a typical microphone design, the internal attenuation of the transducer must be reduced in order to increase the directional aspect from omnidirectional to bidirectional through all possibilities. Applicants' conventional “D” dilator design moderately improved this relationship by adding additional directional pressure. The new acoustic dam enables a highly directional microphone with a very high attenuation coefficient. In other words, the acoustic resistance is so high that it disables other variables that change the directional parameter with frequency.

  Finally, by allowing the port area to set the aiming direction and an effective “D”, the port area is symmetrical and the acoustic dam can form the correct volume area so that the dam design Supports the use of any housing style, even an asymmetric design. In this case, the advantage takes the form of a physical design freedom and thus a larger and more complex shaped housing can be used.

  As mentioned above, the microphone subassemblies of the present invention are preferably located at the top and bottom of the rearview mirror assembly housing. Nevertheless, certain aspects of the microphone subassembly of the present invention include a mirror assembly mounting structure, a rear or side of the mirror housing, and a ceiling, sun visor, overhead console, A-pillar, or ceiling and mirror assembly. Can be implemented in microphones mounted at other locations in the mirror assembly including any accessory in the vehicle, such as a console extending between the two. For example, the acoustic dam described above can be used in various microphone subassemblies, whether used in vehicle applications or in any other non-vehicle application.

  FIG. 12 shows a rearview mirror assembly 10a constructed in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. The rearview mirror assembly 10a of the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that the upper mounting microphone 140a is retracted to the upper surface of the mirror casing 31.

  FIG. 13 shows a rearview mirror assembly 10b constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. The rearview mirror assembly 10b of the third embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the lower mounting microphone 140b is retracted into the lower surface of the mirror casing 31.

  FIG. 14 shows a rearview mirror assembly 10c constructed in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The rearview mirror assembly 10c according to the fourth embodiment is different in that the upper mounting microphone 140a is retracted into the upper surface of the mirror casing 31, and the lower mounting microphone 140b is retracted into the lower surface of the mirror casing 31. Different from that of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 15 shows a rearview mirror assembly 10d constructed in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs in that it includes four microphone subassemblies including subassemblies 140a and 140c mounted on the top of the mirror housing 30 and subassemblies 140b and 140d mounted on the bottom of the mirror housing 30. Such a configuration not only takes advantage of the above-mentioned advantages associated with a vertical array of microphone transducers, but also realizes all the advantages of a horizontal array, thereby enabling more than a three-dimensional audio imaging capability. This is particularly advantageous. Such a feature allows the connected DSP to more easily identify the desired utterance based on the location of the sound source of such sound and more easily identify and remove noise.

Internal Speaker As mentioned above, providing a speaker in the rearview mirror presents several problems. The speaker should be very small and should produce a sound output that is large enough to sound clearly beyond the typical background noise present in the vehicle. However, to achieve an acceptable volume level, a relatively high sound pressure level is required. However, such a high sound pressure may adversely affect any microphone provided in the mirror housing. In particular, if any such microphone is exposed to the required speaker output, it will be overloaded from the speaker output and will not be able to pick up speech from the vehicle occupant. In addition, the speaker may cause the mirror housing to vibrate, which causes the microphone transducer to vibrate, and noise is generated from such vibration.

  As is apparent from the above description, the configuration of a rearview mirror assembly that provides hands-free telephone functionality consists of various elements. At the front there is a mirror surface and openings for switches, lamp sensors, LEDs and display elements. At the rear there are more openings for sensors, electrical connectors, and mirror mounting brackets that secure the mirror assembly to the vehicle. The first function of the mirror is to provide a rear view of the vehicle, not to limit the field of view ahead. As a result, placing large openings in the front of the mirror assembly or through the mirror elements is unproductive as this reduces the mirror surface or limits the forward field of view. Placing the speaker on the back, top, or bottom will protect the first function of the mirror. For best performance, the speaker should be placed in a sealed chamber or chamber in which the port is controlled. In order to realize such a chamber, additional parts and seals are required. An alternative design is to use strategically placed closed cell foam that creates a semi-sealed chamber. There is a slight sound leakage near the edge, but it is small enough that good performance is obtained from the speaker, which isolates sound from many openings in the mirror housing.

  Since the size and weight in the mirror is premium, the speaker should function effectively and ideally over frequencies in the range of 300 to 3400 Hz, the range of telephone voice. By selecting a speaker with a resonance frequency of 300 to 450 Hz and providing a sufficient back chamber, good efficiency can be achieved for frequencies of 300 Hz or higher. As further described below, the front chamber is adjusted to resonate between 2000 and 4000 Hz, preferably about 3000 Hz, to optimize the upper range of the telephone frequency range. This provides an acoustic boost and reduces high frequency noise from the speaker. Furthermore, a smooth response can be provided by adding a grid cloth to prevent dust and dirt from entering, attenuating resonance and increasing the acoustic resistance of the port.

  As shown in FIG. 1A-3, according to the first embodiment, the two speakers 400 a and 400 b are mounted inside the mirror housing 30 near both ends thereof, and the front port 402 provided in the mirror housing 30. Allows the sound generated by the speaker to exit the mirror housing. As will be described further below, the size and shape of the port 402 is not arbitrarily selected, but rather is designed to cooperate with the size and shape of the front acoustic chamber 406 (FIGS. 16A and 16B) and is described above. Provides a range of resonant frequencies, thereby boosting the frequency response at the most useful frequencies. Preferably, the lattice fabric is sealed across the opening of the port 402 and treated with a hydrophobic material to repel moisture and reduce the likelihood of moisture permeating through the speaker. Preferably, the color of the grid cloth is matched to the color of the mirror housing, such as the windshield of the microphone subassembly.

  Speakers 400a and 400b are preferably conventional speakers commonly found in notebook computers. The shape of such a speaker is almost rectangular. Rectangular speakers are preferable to circular speakers because rectangular speakers are not symmetric about the central axis and therefore have less complex resonances. The speakers are preferably driven using a class B amplifier, although other amplifiers such as class D can also be used.

  By using two speakers, the sound output can be effectively doubled. By using two speakers, it is possible to use a smaller speaker than when only one speaker is used. For example, the width of the rectangular speaker used in the embodiments described herein is about 30 mm. By using two speakers at equal distances from the microphone near each end of the mirror housing 30 facing the windshield, a dipole can be formed at the position of the microphone. Speakers 400a and 400b can be driven out of phase so that the left sound of the microphone subassembly is out of phase with the right sound. It becomes null at the center where the microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b are arranged, and it is considered that the effect of providing an internal speaker is minimized. The speaker is preferably located as far as possible from the microphone subassembly.

  Speakers 400a and 400b can be directly driven by two electrical signals that are out of phase. The advantage of using direct electrical drive of the speaker is that the range in which the speaker is driven out of phase can be dynamically adjusted in response to the signal obtained from the microphone. In this manner, the null frequency band can be adjusted. Such an adjustment may be desirable because the mirror is tilted with respect to the windshield and may vary from vehicle to vehicle.

  In some situations, it may not be desirable to place the speakers at an equal distance from the microphone subassembly. Equal distances will make it easier to perform echo cancellation subtraction for DSPs, but non-uniform spacing is required if the sound from the two speakers is not sufficiently out of phase, and so on In that case, it would be best to ensure that the sound from the speakers is not correlated.

  It would also be desirable to keep the speakers in phase so as to increase the sound level, particularly in the vehicle cabin.

  An additional advantage of using two speakers is the redundancy provided to not stop the output when one of the speakers fails, but only to eliminate the advantage of using two separate speakers. .

  A specific example of the first embodiment will now be described below in connection with FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, and 16A. 16A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the rearview mirror assembly 10 of FIG. 1B along line XVI-XVI. As shown in the drawing, speakers 400 a and 400 b are mounted on the rear wall inside the mirror housing 30 after the port 402. Preferably, around each speaker 400a and 400b, an acoustic seal is provided between the front end of the speaker and the inner rear wall, thereby forming a front speaker chamber 406 and respective rear speaker chambers 408a and 408b. A seal 404 is provided in the vicinity. The seal 404 is preferably made of an elastomeric material so as to damp any vibrations that would otherwise be transferred from the speaker to the mirror housing 30, thereby greatly reducing vibrations transferred from the speaker to the microphone subassembly. It is done. In addition, a similar elastomeric seal can be placed between the circuit board of the microphone subassembly and the mirror housing to further reduce the amount of vibration experienced by the microphone transducer.

  As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal volume of the mirror housing 30 is divided into at least three acoustic chambers (408a, 408b, 408c, and 408d) that are acoustically connected to each other by inner walls 163 and ribs 164a. Isolated. These isolated acoustic chambers isolate the microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b from the speakers 400a and 400b (at least within the mirror housing) so that the speakers 400a and 400b are isolated from each other. Furthermore, the inner wall 163 acoustically seals the rear chambers 408a and 408b so that sound cannot escape through various openings in the mirror housing, such as the openings 126a and 162a. In addition, the wall 163 helps provide additional support to damp vibrations from the speaker. Preferably, the circuit board 110 is acoustically sealed across the rear chambers 408a and 408b. An alternative configuration would be to provide either foam rubber or some other acoustic barrier around the rear of each of the speakers 400a and 400b.

  FIG. 16B shows a slight modification to the above-described embodiment in which a rear port 405 is provided that is acoustically coupled to the rear chambers 408a and 408b. Such a port can be added to enhance the bass response of the speaker.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1B, 16A, and 16B, three ports are provided for each speaker. It should be noted that other port configurations are possible. FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C show examples of three alternative port configurations that can be used. As described below, ports 402, 402a, 402b, and 402c are desirably designed to increase speaker resonance at frequencies between about 2000 and 4000 Hz, preferably about 3000 Hz.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, in another embodiment of the present invention, speakers 400 a and 400 b are opened to the front acoustic chamber 406 through an opening 412 formed in the wall 410 with the front of the speakers facing downward. As shown, each horizontal inner wall 410 is mounted. A front port 414 is provided through either the bezel 32 or a portion of the casing 31 that is acoustically coupled to the front acoustic chamber 406 and thus to the front of the speaker. In this way, the loudspeaker / mirror assembly emits sound directly toward the vehicle occupant at the rear of the vehicle.

  While various embodiments for speakers have been generally described, some design considerations that apply to each of the embodiments are described below.

  As described above, the size of the front acoustic cavity 406 and the size, shape, and number of the ports 402 are configured to provide resonance at a frequency between about 2000 and 4000 Hz, preferably about 3000 Hz. Is advantageous. Including a resonant frequency in this frequency range is important for communication and for passing noise that is commonly found in the vehicle cabin. Such a resonant frequency also helps to prevent correlation of the two signals from the speakers in the microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b.

The equations listed below can be used to determine how to configure the port and front acoustic chamber. First, the desired resonant frequency f (ie 3000 Hz) is selected. Next, in general, the volume V of the front acoustic chamber can be measured by measuring the volume of water required to fill the chamber 406. Using the measured volume V and the desired resonant frequency f, the resulting acoustic capacitance C _A (cm ³ / sec) of volume V can be determined using the following equation:
C _A = V / pc ²
Where p = air density in grams / cubic centimeter and c = sonic velocity in centimeter / second.

The outer boundary acoustic resistance r _A is equal to the acoustic resistance of the port 402. The acoustic resistance of the port 402 is mainly a function of the acoustic resistance of the lattice fabric fibers and is a measured quantity determined using Ohm's law with respect to the acoustic parameters. Accordingly, acoustic resistance r _A = E / I, where E is the measured pressure across the lattice fabric fiber and I is the measured air flow rate. In order to measure the pressure E across the fiber, a known constant air flow I is directed to the fiber, while the pressure gauge measures the pressure E across the fiber. The acoustic resistance r _A can then be calculated using the above equation. Given the acoustic resistance r _A , the acoustic capacitance C _A , and the desired resonant frequency f, it is believed that the corresponding impedance z _A can be calculated using the following equation:
z _A = r _A / (1 + jωr _A C _A )
Where r _A = acoustic resistance at the boundary in acoustic ohms (or Rayls), C _A = acoustic capacitance in volume in cubic centimeters / second, ω = 2πf, and f = desired resonant frequency in cycles / second.

を長さｌと等しく設定することによって円形ポートの場合に使用することができる。

ここで、
μ＝空気の場合１．８６ｘ１０−４である粘性係数、
ｐ＝グラム／立方センチメートルでの空気の密度、
ｄ＝センチメートルでのミラーハウジングの壁厚、
ｌ＝センチメートルでの流れの方向に直角なスリットの長さ、

ω＝２πｆ、及び、
ｆ＝サイクル／秒での望ましい共振周波数である。 Once the impedance z _A necessary to obtain the desired resonant frequency f is known, the port dimensions can be determined using the following equation: However, the equation below is for the slit, which is the width

Can be used in the case of a circular port by setting 等 し く equal to the length l.

here,
μ = viscosity coefficient of 1.86 × 10 −4 for air,
p = density of air in grams / cubic centimeter,
d = wall thickness of the mirror housing in centimeters,
l = length of slit perpendicular to the direction of flow in centimeters,

ω = 2πf, and
f = desired resonant frequency at cycles / second.

If more than one port is used, the size of the port is given by the equation above, unless the value z _A is first divided by the number of ports (assuming their magnitudes are equal). Can be determined using. If the port sizes are not equal, the sum of the port impedances must equal the value z _A. Accordingly, at least one port associated with the front acoustic chamber and each speaker satisfies the following equation:

ｌ_i＝ポートｉの長さ、
ｄ＝ハウジングの壁厚、
ｐ＝空気の密度（ｇ／ｃｍ³）、
μ＝粘性係数＝空気の場合に１．８６ｘ１０^-4、及び、
ｃ＝音速（ｃｍ／ｓｅｃ）である。 here,
f = resonance frequency,
n = number of ports,

l _i = length of port i,
d = wall thickness of housing,
p = air density (g / cm ³ ),
1.86 × 10 ⁻⁴ when μ = viscosity coefficient = air, and
c = Sonic velocity (cm / sec).

  To illustrate the effect of properly configured ports 402 and acoustic chambers 406, a graph with and without proper configuration is shown in FIG. In particular, FIG. 20 shows the frequency response of two different speaker configurations implemented in the rearview mirror housing. The first graph A is the frequency response of the speaker mounted on the rearview mirror housing, with the entire housing in front of the speaker removed so that the front of the speaker is fully open. The second graph B is the frequency response of the speaker mounted to the rearview mirror housing, with the housing port in front of the speaker being similar to the port of FIG. 1B and adjusted to enhance resonance at 3000 Hz. As is apparent from a comparison of graphs A and B, adjusting port 402 and front acoustic chamber 406 to a resonant frequency of 3000 Hz provides a significant improvement.

  Note that the more ports used, the higher the Q of the resulting configuration. Q depends on the combination of port inductance and resistance. The resistance of a port depends on the size and number of ports and any fabric used to cover the ports. In general, the greater the number of ports, the lower the acoustic resistance.

  In addition to the above-described means for reducing the influence of the speaker on the characteristics of the microphone subassembly, various other techniques can be used to minimize the influence of the speaker. More specifically, the output signal of the microphone subassembly can be supplied to a DSP 590 (or 585) (FIG. 21) that also receives the signal supplied to the speaker. By monitoring the signal supplied to the loudspeaker, the DSP 590 identifies certain signal characteristics (eg, frequency components) corresponding to the loudspeaker output and uses them in an echo cancellation algorithm, thereby rendering them into the microphone sub Can be subtracted from the assembly output.

  While it is preferred to use full duplex mode, there are other techniques for using half duplex mode where the microphone is substantially disabled or switched off when a signal is applied to the speaker.

  26A and 26B show yet another position for mounting the speaker 400. FIG. Here, the speaker 400 is attached to the mirror mount 36 or mounted in an associated housing 154. The speaker 400 can be mounted in the housing 154 as a supplement to the speakers 400 a and 400 b provided in the mirror housing 30, or can be provided in place of the speaker in the mirror housing 30. In the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B, a single speaker 400 can be mounted in the housing 154 so that it faces rearward and slightly downward. A plurality of openings 900 can be provided to provide a path for sound passing through the wall of the housing 154. The speaker 400 can be any conventional speaker. An array of speakers including woofers, tweeters, mid-range speakers, and combinations thereof can be included in the housing 154 as well. The wavy line represented by numeral 154 ′ in FIG. 26A represents an alternative structure of the housing 154 in which the internal volume of the housing 154 is increased. Preferably, any speaker 400 is buffered to the housing, or the housing 154 is buffered to the mirror mount 36. Such a shock mount reduces mechanical vibrations transferred through mounting to the mirror housing and mirror element.

  27A-27C are modifications to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B. In the modified embodiment shown in FIGS. 27A-27C, the two speakers 400a and 400b are provided in the housing 154. The speakers 400a and 400b are mounted so as to be directed rearward at different horizontal angles. An optional vent 902 can be provided in the housing 154 to serve as a speaker port. Additional output is provided by using two speakers. By tilting the speaker axis outward, the high frequency component generated by the speaker can be emitted so as not to overflow the mirror, thereby reducing the stress of the echo canceling device. Furthermore, by driving the speakers 400a and 400b out of phase mechanically, mechanical vibrations caused by each speaker can effectively cancel each other when subjected to the mirror mount, mirror housing, and mirror element. it can.

  FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate yet another modification provided in the housing 154 such that a single speaker 400 is directed rearward along the vehicle longitudinal axis. An optional vent 902 can be provided on the opposite side of the housing 154 to serve as a speaker port. The speaker 400 shown in FIGS. 26A, 26B, 28A, and 28B is shown as being directed rearward and away from the vehicle windshield, but the front is such that the sound produced by the speaker reflects from the windshield. It is desirable to wear a speaker facing the glass. FIGS. 29A and 29B show such an embodiment mounted in the housing 154 such that the speaker is directed toward the vehicle windshield. By directing the speaker to the windshield, the sound from the speaker sounds to appear from the front of the vehicle rather than from the mirror assembly. Since people tend to look at the direction of the voice, it is desirable for the driver's tendency to look ahead of the vehicle rather than the mirror assembly while engaged in a telephone call.

  It should be noted that all the functions described above with respect to the embodiment in which the speaker is mounted in the mirror housing 30 can be used as well when the speaker is mounted in the housing 154.

  An additional benefit of providing an internal speaker in the mirror assembly is that the speaker can also be used to generate sound from a vehicle audio system. For example, such a speaker can be used as a central or mono channel output from vehicle audio. Such a central channel is desirable from the perspective of mounting various multimedia devices such as televisions, DVDs, and VCRs in vehicles.

  While specific mirror assembly configurations are shown herein, such as disclosed in commonly assigned US Patent Publication No. US2004 / 0196577A1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The configuration can also be used.

  FIG. 21 shows a first embodiment of an electrical circuit 500 for use in connection with the above-described rearview mirror subassembly. As shown, the transducers of microphone subassemblies 140a and 140b are coupled to a microphone processor circuit 580, such as a DSP circuit. The microphone processor circuit is supplied to a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585. Alternatively, some or all of the microphone processors 580 can be removed if the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 is equipped with an integrated DSP circuit. The audio circuit 590 is connected to a “Bluetooth (registered trademark)” transceiver 585, amplifies an audio signal received from the transceiver, and supplies the amplified signal to the speakers 400a and 400b. The “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 is also coupled to one or more antennas 114 and a “Bluetooth®” controller 588 that controls the reception of data signals on the antenna 114. Performing the function, this antenna generates a signal that is transmitted through the transceiver 585 and the antenna 114. Using the components described above, the system can communicate with the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 in the portable mobile phone 800 so that the mobile transceiver of the mobile phone 800 and the rearview mirror assembly The hands-free telephone communication is executed using the microphones 140a and 140b and the speakers 400a and 400b. This configuration minimizes the dual telephone components included in the mirror assembly while avoiding the use of components already included in mobile phones such as any voice recognition circuit, keypad, display, and GPS circuit. It is advantageous in terms of maximizing.

  Other circuitry that may be included in the mirror assembly includes an electrochromic mirror / compass system 520, which is described in more detail below with respect to FIG. In addition, the mirror assembly can include one or more displays 45 controlled by a map lamp 118, a switch 130, and one or more display control circuits 574. Such components can be coupled to a common controller on the local bus 502. Control may be performed by either or both of the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 of circuit 520 and microprocessor 520.

  As shown in FIG. 22, the electrochromic mirror / compass system 520 includes an electrochromic mirror, a glare sensor 124, an ambient light sensor 126, one or more displays 45, a switch 130, a memory 527, a skylight sensor 129, and a magnetic compass sensor. A circuit 525 and a microprocessor 522 to which all the above components can be connected can be included. Preferably, the magnetic compass sensor circuit 525 is a U.S. Pat. No. 6,653 entitled “Magnetometer with Dynamically Adjustable Bias Setting and Electronic Vehicle Compass Incorporating It” assigned to the present applicant. , 831 so that the microprocessor 522 determines the direction of travel of the vehicle in the manner disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0167121 A1 entitled “Electronic Compass System” assigned to the present applicant. The entire disclosures of which are programmed are incorporated herein by reference.

  FIG. 23 illustrates a vehicle communication and control system 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 23, the system 600 includes a GPS (or GLONAS or LORAN) receiver 680 connected to a microwave antenna 650 through an antenna connector 684. The antenna 650 and the GPS receiver 680 are preferably mounted on the mounting legs of the rearview mirror assembly 10. The GPS receiver 680 can be coupled to the local bus 502 through a cable 685 that extends between the mounting legs 36 of the mirror housing 30. The local bus 502 preferably interconnects various electrical components provided on the first and second printed circuit boards 110 and 112 mounted within the mirror housing 30. Cable 685 can also be considered an extension of local bus 502.

  The vehicle bus interface circuit 604 is preferably mounted as a GPS receiver 680 on the same printed circuit board and connected to the local bus 502 through a cable 685. The vehicle bus interface 604 is then connected to the vehicle bus 606 through a cable 686 that extends from the mounting leg 36 to a connector provided between the roof and ceiling or in an overhead console. It is also possible to use an audio and data transceiver 585 instead of a bus interface provided that there is a corresponding compatible transceiver coupled to the vehicle bus 606. Preferably, any such audio and data transceiver is a “Bluetooth®” transceiver that utilizes the “Bluetooth®” standard communication protocol.

  Map lamp 118 and switch 130 may both be coupled to local bus 502. Similarly, the display 45 can be connected to a display control circuit 574, which in turn can be coupled to the local bus 502. Preferably, any map lamp 118 provided in the assembly uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to minimize the size of the lamp subassembly and / or reduce heat dissipation from the lamp. Preferably, the lamp is a U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,803,579, 6,539,306, 6,335,548, 6,132,072, and 6, assignable to the present applicant. , 639, 360, as well as any one of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0043590A1 assigned to the present applicant.

  As described further below, the built-in mobile phone 670 can be printed on the circuit board 110 or 112 and preferably connected to a second RF antenna that is also mounted on the mirror housing 30. The antenna 116 is preferably mounted on the outer surface of the mirror housing 30, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cell phone antenna can also be mounted remotely from the mirror assembly 10 or within the mounting legs. . However, mounting the antenna 116 within the mirror housing 30 allows the vehicle communication and control system of the present invention to be configured as a single internal vehicle accessory, requiring additional wiring to reach remote locations. Sex can be excluded, thus saving considerable material, manufacturing and installation costs.

  Microwave antenna 650 can also be integrated with portable antenna 116, trainable garage door open / close transmitter RF antenna, RKE receiver, and / or satellite CD radio antenna.

  The rearview mirror assembly 10 can further include a moisture sensor 672 that can be coupled to the local bus 502. The moisture sensor 672 is also preferably mounted to the mounting leg 36 to detect the presence of moisture such as fog, rain, dew, or snow on the windshield. A preferred moisture sensor is disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,923,027, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,923,027, the output from moisture sensor 672 can be analyzed to control windscreen wipers and / or vehicle windows and mirror defrosters. Since the moisture sensor 672 is preferably attached to the attachment leg 36, the moisture sensor 672 is connected to the local bus 502 through the cable 685.

  The system 100 can also include an image sensor 635 that is used for the purpose of controlling the vehicle headlamps using the headlamp controller 616 (FIG. 24). Suitable sensors and headlamp controllers are described in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 5,837,994, 6,611,610, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. And 6,587,573. The image sensor uses a low resolution pixel sensor to acquire video from the front of the vehicle and detects the presence or absence of the vehicle in front of the vehicle to control the brightness of the vehicle headlamp. The video obtained from the low resolution pixel sensor 635 can also be stored in memory, providing a rough history of what happened ahead of the vehicle, which history is particularly useful when revealing the cause of the accident. is there. The memory in which such video is stored is preferably a non-volatile memory when an appropriate backup power source cannot be used, and is preferably a volatile memory when it can be used. During normal operation, the image from sensor 635 is stored in volatile memory on a first-in first-out basis for processing to identify the light source. As soon as a crash is detected, the control circuit of the present invention can transfer the video stored in the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory for subsequent retrieval. In addition to use in image sensing, the sensor 635 can be used as an ambient light sensor to control the electrochromic mirror 40 (FIG. 22).

  As shown in FIG. 23, the vehicle communication and control system of the present invention includes a speech synthesizer 676 (or a prerecorded message playback system), a speech recognition circuit 678, a microphone processor 580, an audio and data transceiver 585. (Bluetooth®) transceiver circuit (which is used interchangeably throughout the preferred embodiment “Bluetooth®” transceiver), and “Bluetooth®” control circuit 588, and audio circuit 590 may be included. Among these components, a speech recognition circuit 678, a “Bluetooth (registered trademark)” control circuit 588, and a speech synthesizer 676 are coupled to the local bus 502. The voice synthesizer 676 generates a synthesized voice signal in response to the command transmitted on the local bus 502, and this signal is transmitted to the audio circuit 590 on the line 695. The audio circuit 590 can be connected to one or more speakers 400a and 400b mounted on the inside of the rearview mirror assembly or its remote device so that synthesized speech can be played. Embodiments of the invention that use internal speakers are described under the heading “Internal Speakers” above. Alternatively or additionally, the audio circuit 590 causes the audio system to interrupt (or superimpose) any broadcast or other music that is playing on the audio system to generate synthesized speech. Audio signals can be transmitted to the vehicle audio system through a dedicated connection. Alternatively, a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 can be used to provide an RF connection to the vehicle audio system to eliminate the need for a separate connection 695 or connection via the vehicle bus.

  Microphone processor 580 preferably provides two separate output audio streams from the microphone subassembly. The first audio stream is provided on line 681 to the speech recognition circuit 678 and processed differently than the second audio stream provided on line 687 to the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585. . The noise reduction process is performed by the digital signal processor of the microphone processor 580 that makes the signal detected by the microphone more suitable for an individual to hear, but such noise reduction is useful for speech recognition. Will be removed. Accordingly, the second audio stream is filtered differently from the first audio stream because the processed signal is not suitable for use by the speech recognition circuit 678. Microphone processor 580 preferably includes a digital signal processor (DSP), which can be an integrated DSP included in a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585.

  The “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 is configured to be able to transmit and receive both audio and data signals. As shown, a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 is connected to the first RF antenna 114. The “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 and the antenna 114 can both be mounted outside or within the mirror housing 30. It should be noted that antennas 114 and 116 are probably combined and can then be used for both mobile phone transmission and “Bluetooth®” transmission.

  As described above, the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 can receive audio signals from the microphones 140 a and 140 b through the microphone processor circuit 580 on line 687. These audio signals can be modulated and transmitted through the antenna 114. The “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 is also coupled to an audio circuit 590 and a speech recognition circuit 678, so that the audio signal received by the “Bluetooth®” antenna 114 is either a vehicle audio system or It can be played back through dedicated speakers 400a and 400b or transmitted to voice recognition circuit 678, which recognizes certain voice commands and converts those commands into command signals, which are Sent on bus 502 and optionally on vehicle bus 606. When data is transmitted to another device by the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585, the data is first supplied to the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 on the local bus 502 and then “Bluetooth”. (Registered trademark) ”transceiver 585.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 and 23, the rearview mirror assembly 10 may also include an electrochromic mirror / compass system 520 having a connection 121 to the local bus 502. As shown in FIG. 22, the electrochromic mirror / compass system 520 is preferably external electrochromic that can be coupled to at least the internal electrochromic mirror, and optionally through individual connections or through the local bus 502 and the vehicle bus 606. A microprocessor 522 is coupled to the chromic mirror. As will be described in more detail below, the microprocessor 522 is derived from any of the ambient light sensor 126, the glare sensor 126, and other components coupled to the microprocessor 522 directly or through the local bus 502 or vehicle bus 606. In response to this information, it can be programmed to change the reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror 40. As is known in the art, ambient light sensor 126 is preferably mounted in a forward position of the mirror housing of the rearview mirror assembly so that it is exposed to light conditions in front of the vehicle, whereas glare sensor 124 is mounted. Is usually mounted at a position facing the rear of the mirror housing 30 so as to detect glare from the vehicle headlamp behind the vehicle. A more detailed description of how the microprocessor 522 can control the electrochromic mirror 520 is provided in US Pat. No. 6,166,698, referenced above. The mirror 40 is preferably electrochromic, but the mirror 40 can also be a simple prism mirror. Alternatively, the mirror 40 can be replaced with a display device for providing video from a rear facing camera.

  The electrochromic mirror / compass circuit 520 can also include a memory device 527 coupled to the microprocessor 522. Memory device 527 can be external to or built into microprocessor 522, depending on the need for additional memory. The illustrated memory device 527 represents both volatile and non-volatile memory as required by the system.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 21-23, the rearview mirror assembly 10 can include a plurality of user-actuated switches that provide user input information to the microprocessor 522. Such a switch can cause the microprocessor 522 to change the information displayed on the display 45, or deactivate the electrochromic mirror 40, to name just a few functions that can be affected through a user-actuated switch, Or a telephone call can be initiated or answered.

  The display 45 can be located on the reflective surface of the mirror or can be mounted adjacent to the mirror in the mirror housing. Alternatively, the mirror 45 can be mounted in front of the reflective layer over a portion or the entire surface of the mirror. A suitable display for mounting in front of the reflective layer is an organic LED display. Examples of such organic LED displays among mirrors are disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 6,356,376, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. .

  The display 45 can be a vacuum fluorescent or backlight liquid crystal display that includes at least 10 seven-divided character display areas, and preferably includes at least 16 such character portions. Using the prior art, such a large display requires a 42 volt power supply. However, Robert R. Using the technology disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,698 assigned to Applicant entitled “Low EMI Multiple Dual Display” filed July 22, 1999 by Tunbul et al. It can be driven by a volt power supply and will exhibit substantially lower electromagnetic interference. The entire disclosure of US Pat. No. 6,346,698 is incorporated herein by reference.

  Display includes vehicle direction, outside temperature, phone number, roaming information, phone and voice signal strength information, paging message, control menu and selection, e-mail, navigation direction, diagnostic information, voicemail icon, traffic volume Various information can be provided, including reports, news, weather, tire pressure warnings, blind spot warnings, stop / traffic signal warnings, maintenance reminders, and any other information available on the Internet. In addition, the display can be used to provide positive feedback to the user regarding which button the user has pressed. For example, when the user presses the “911” button, an instruction for this result can be displayed on the display 45.

  As described further below, the display indicates that a portable, handheld mobile phone equipped with a “Bluetooth” transceiver is recognized and is communicating with the transceiver 585 in the mirror assembly 10. Can be further provided. The display can also be used to display the phone number and / or the name of the caller and provide caller ID functionality.

  As described above, the display 45 can be mounted on the rear of the mirror 40 so that the display is visible through a window provided on the reflective surface of the mirror 40. The window can be formed by completely or partially removing the reflective material on the reflective surface. Alternatively, the window can be provided by forming a partially transmissive or partially reflective region on the reflective surface. The window can also include areas without some reflective material. By creating an area without such reflective material, the display becomes visible through the reflective surface of the mirror. Areas without reflective material can be created on the reflective surface using several techniques such as etching (laser, chemical or otherwise), masking during deposition, mechanical scraping or sandblasting. These techniques are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described further herein. An example of an electrochromic mirror with such a display window is shown in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,825,527 to Jeffer Forgette et al., The disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. It is disclosed.

  Preferably, the entire reflective surface is partially reflective and partially so that there is no need to provide a “window” and the display can be placed anywhere on the rear of the mirror and can be any size or configuration. It could be permeable. The display 45 can also consist of a plurality of separate displays. An example of an electrochromic mirror assembly with a partially transmissive reflective surface is described in William L., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. US Pat. No. 6,356,376 assigned to Applicant named Tonar et al. Entitled “Electrochromic rearview mirror incorporating third surface metal reflector and indicator light” filed May 14, 1999. Is disclosed.

  As described in more detail below, the vehicle communication and control system 600 can include an IR transmitter 634 for transmitting IR signals to the vehicle interior passenger area. This IR signal may include any data or other information intended for portable electronic devices that can be located in the passenger area. If such a device is equipped with an RF receiver, a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 can be used for that purpose.

  The vehicle communication and control system 600 can also include a receiver intended to receive RF signals and the like from a remotely located transmitter such as an RKE transmitter or a tire pressure monitoring sensor.

  As will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of various functions, the vehicle communication and control system 600 can include various combinations of the elements identified above and shown in FIG. And not all elements need to be incorporated. Further, each of the elements shown in FIG. 23 may be housed within the rearview mirror assembly 10, but some or all of the elements may be provided at another remote location, such as on the vehicle bus 106 or RF Information can be transmitted and received through "Bluetooth (registered trademark)" transmission. Further, the various components that can be mounted on the rearview mirror assembly 10 can be mounted on either the mounting leg 36 or the mirror housing 30 with appropriate electrical connections therebetween.

  FIG. 24 shows examples of some systems and other electrical devices in the vehicle that can be connected to the vehicle bus 606 and thus can be in electrical communication with various components mounted on the mirror assembly 10. ing. In particular, the following are some examples of components that can be coupled to the vehicle bus 606: navigation system 710, external electrochromic mirror 712, internal lighting 714, headlamp controller 616, tire pressure monitoring system 718, speed. 720, temperature control system 722, clock / display 728, engine control system 730, temperature sensor 732, audio system 734, odometer 736, vehicle windscreen wiper controller 738, and various that can be placed across the vehicle Other switches 726 and various display devices 726.

  By providing a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 and a built-in phone 670 in the vehicle communication and control system, all individuals in the vehicle carrying the relatively low power portable cell phone 800 will be able to “ZONE ( The higher power mobile phone 670 can be used efficiently within or within the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 in a manner similar to the way a “registered” phone operates. See, for example, US Pat. No. 5,745,850. More specifically, the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585 looks for signals transmitted from the personal mobile phone 800 for training or sending the received signal to the internal phone 670 for transmission at the next higher output. Can be configured to forward. Similarly, incoming signals can be received by the built-in phone 670 and transferred to the handset 800 of the mobile phone through a “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585. The internal phone 670 may be provided for emergency calls only and all mobile phone calls are made through the driver's mobile phone 800 and then transferred through the internal phone 670 that transfers at a higher power level. Is done. Since the mobile phone service provider is required to connect to any 9-1-1 emergency call regardless of the registration status of the mobile phone, a built-in phone for emergency calls regardless of the presence of any mobile phone in the vehicle 670 can be used. The implementation of such a hands-free system is particularly advantageous in the case of European vehicles where the use of handheld phones in the vehicle is illegal. For example, when a user is within their vehicle range, the user's cell phone 800 is automatically disabled and a hands-free phone installed in the mirror is activated without the phone being disconnected. Such switching from the mobile phone 800 to the built-in phone 670 can be performed, for example, when the vehicle alarm is stopped, the door is open, the ignition key is inserted into the vehicle ignition, the ignition is turned, or the vehicle gear is turned on. The same occurs when the vehicle enters, the vehicle travels at a speed above the threshold, or any combination thereof is detected. Similarly, any of these events may trigger automatic delivery from internal phone 670 to mobile phone 800. For example, detection that vehicle ignition is turned off and / or a door is open may trigger such automatic delivery. Alternatively, manually actuated call forward buttons or voice actuated commands can be used for manual call forwarding. Such a manual switch can be provided on either or both of the mobile phone 800 and the internal phone 670.

  In order to allow such call forwarding, a unique ID code associated with and transmitted by one or both of the mobile phone's “Bluetooth” compliant transceiver and the built-in phone is The phone will be entered into the other as “paired” and will not attempt to answer or transfer control or partial control of the call function for the third party phone.

  It will be appreciated that while it is usually desirable to transfer the entire call functionality to the internal phone 670, the transferred call function may be more restricted. For example, the functions of the microphone and speaker of the mobile phone 800 can be transferred (copied) to the functions of the built-in phone 670. In this way, the transceiver, antenna, and keypad of the mobile phone 800 can continue to function, while using audio transmitted over “Bluetooth” or a similar communication link, The speaker and the microphone of the built-in telephone 670 can be used in a hands-free manner. As yet another example, the keypad or other call initiation function (redial / speed / memory dial) of the cell phone 800 can remain functional, while at the same time the built-in phone 670 transceiver, antenna, microphone, and speaker. Is used.

  Substantially all levels of interaction between the internal phone 670 and the portable mobile phone 800 are available, provided that the portable mobile phone 800 is “Bluetooth®” compliant. For example, the cell phone 800 may include a unique serial number that can be transmitted from the cell phone 800 or headset via its “Bluetooth®” transceiver. When the mobile phone 800 or headset is carried within the range of the “Bluetooth®” transceiver 585, transfer any or all of the phone functions, or just the microphone and speaker functions to the built-in phone 670 can do. Conversely, utterances initiated using internal phone 670 can be transferred to mobile phone 800. For example, the keypad of the mobile phone 800 can be used as a means for a user to enter to initiate a speech by the internal phone 670 or to enter another data into the internal phone transceiver 670. . In addition, the cell phone microphone and / or speaker overrides these functions performed by the microphone and speaker in the vehicle, while the remaining call processing and call transmission is handled by the cell phone 800. In addition, the portable mobile phone can be used to disable RKE functions and / or vehicle warnings, or to turn on lights in or on the vehicle for other rides. I will. This continuously monitors the "Bluetooth" transceiver 585 for the presence of another "Bluetooth" transceiver with a known unique identification number corresponding to the driver's mobile phone. Can be executed more easily.

  To further illustrate the above-described embodiment, as well as other functional constraints, refer to FIG. FIG. 25 illustrates the rearview mirror assembly 10 and various devices with which the mirror assembly can share a wireless connection. Some of the other devices that can be placed in the vehicle are a first portable mobile phone 800a, a second portable mobile phone 800b, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or pocket PC 802, a portable laptop or notebook A book computer 804, a headset 806, and a GPS unit 808 can be included. Other devices external to the vehicle that can be wirelessly connected to the mirror 10 circuit include a cell phone tower 810, a wireless access port 812, such as indicating “WiFi” 802.11a, b, g standards, Other remote devices 816 using a “Bluetooth®” transceiver are included. External devices can be provided at gas stations, ATMs, restaurant drive-through windows, parking areas, and the like. The wireless connection to the mirror circuit can be via infrared, “Bluetooth®”, WiFi, satellite microwave, any of the conventional cell phone protocols, or various combinations thereof. In order to be able to perform all of these combinations using or through the mirror assembly 10, the mirror assembly is not only equipped with appropriate transceiver circuitry and antennas, but also on these wireless transmissions. Appropriate controls can be configured while giving priority to the use of limited resources in the mirror assembly or vehicle. In order to allow sufficient flexibility, the mirrors preferably have which wireless devices can be connected to or through the mirror assembly and / or the vehicle and what level of interaction these devices can mirror / It has an easy-to-use interface that allows the user to set whether the vehicle and possibly it can be held together. As described further below, when there are more than one portable mobile phones 800a and 800b, the mirror assembly will set priority for certain resources such as hands-free microphones and speakers. Can do.

  “Bluetooth®” devices are generally configured to automatically and always look for other “Bluetooth” devices to communicate with devices that were previously “paired”. It is preferable to configure the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 in the mirror assembly to establish communication only. In this way, the mirror assembly will not establish a connection with a “Bluetooth®” enabled phone or other device being used by an unknown party near the vehicle. However, such “pairing” may require mirror assembly training to recognize and identify a particular “Bluetooth” phone or other device. That is, the user interface discovers and obtains the identification of all “Bluetooth” devices in range to select which device “pairs” with the mirror assembly, and then The “Bluetooth®” controller 588 can be provided in a mirror assembly (or anywhere in the vehicle) that allows the user to command the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 to enter the search mode. With the devices “paired”, the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 activates the “Bluetooth®” device through the display 45b or 145 or through synthesized speech played on the speakers 400a and 400b. The user can be further prompted for an acceptable dialogue level input to use. For example, if the paired device is a portable cell phone 800a, the phone 800a will automatically identify itself as a phone to the “Bluetooth®” controller 588. Phone 800a will also send not only its unique “Bluetooth” ID, but also its assigned name (ie, “HOMERPHONE”). In addition, the phone 800a can transmit a list of its features that can include voice recognition, GPS, memory dials, and the like. The “Bluetooth®” controller then displays this assigned name 950 on the display 45b (FIG. 30), and if this phone is to be paired with the mirror assembly. The user can be inquired about the capacity. For example, a “Bluetooth®” controller can query which priority is assigned to the phone 800a for use as a hands-free microphone and speaker. Such priority may be desirable when the mirror assembly can be paired with more than one phone such as the second phone 800b. When both phones are in use, the “Bluetooth®” controller needs to know which phone to connect to the microphone and speaker. In general, the highest priority phone is considered to be that of the person who drives the vehicle most often. Accordingly, the display 45b can be configured to display the assigned priority 952 of the telephone it has identified. The “Bluetooth®” controller also allows multiple phones to communicate simultaneously through the built-in repeater (built-in phone transceiver 670), while only the highest priority phone has a hands-free microphone and speaker. Can be configured to be used.

  In addition, the “Bluetooth®” controller causes the display 45b to display the identity (950, 954) of each of the paired “Bluetooth®” controllers detected at least temporarily within range, It can then be programmed to simply display an indicator that a paired “Bluetooth®” enabled phone or device has been detected or not. This indicator can simply be the identity of the detected device. This provides the user with feedback regarding which device is communicating with the mirror assembly. A “Bluetooth®” controller uses a hands-free function and / or a repeater so that the mobile phone disables those microphones, whether they are incoming or outgoing, The fact that the mobile phone 800a and 800b controls itself to switch the phone call to the built-in phone transceiver 670 in response to an approval from the “Bluetooth®” controller 588 that is allowed to use the speaker. Can be configured to transmit to. If no such approval is received, the phone can still use the repeater (if any), while enabling its own microphone and speaker.

  Alternatively, any one of the “Bluetooth®” phones 800a and 800b can be used as a mere microphone and speaker for the mirror assembly while continuing to use its own transceiver and antenna. This would allow hands-free use when the internal phone is not present in the mirror assembly or vehicle for other reasons. In such a configuration, the cell phone would only transmit audio signals for playback on speakers in the mirror or otherwise in the vehicle, and a “Bluetooth®” transceiver in the mirror assembly. Will receive the speech signal received by the microphone in the mirror, including any speech recognition commands from. In a conventional configuration using a built-in telephone transceiver 670, the entire telephone transmission is passed to the built-in telephone transceiver. The built-in phone transceiver has a portable cell phone identification so that the cell phone tower 810 and the cell phone service provider do not identify the difference when the entire telephone transmission is delivered to the built-in phone transceiver 670. If allowed by the mobile phone service provider, the internal phone transceiver located in the mirror assembly will be able to send and receive the mobile phone even when the mobile phone transceiver is not in the vehicle. It can be configured to permanently learn and use the identification information of those portable mobile phones used by the vehicle owner to function as if they were aircraft.

  Display 45b may also be configured to display an indicator icon 956 that indicates that the “Bluetooth®” feature is on or off. In addition, the display 45b can display a signal strength indicator 958 that can indicate either the strength of the portable wireless signal or the “Bluetooth®” signal. In addition, a “in use” indicator 960 may be displayed to indicate that one of the identified devices (950) is using either a “Bluetooth” connection or a mobile phone connection or both. Can do.

  In some embodiments, the cell phone keypad can still be used to dial and the display 45b can still be used to display various information. For the hands-free embodiment, either the voice recognition unit in the mirror assembly or the voice recognition function of the mobile phone can be used. If the cell phone already uses speech recognition circuitry, it would be desirable to simply use this feature of the cell phone rather than duplicating this complex and expensive circuit in the rearview mirror assembly.

  Similarly, if the mobile phone is equipped with a GPS antenna and receiver, it need not be implemented with a rearview mirror assembly. GPS data from the mobile phone can be transmitted to the mirror assembly through a wireless link such as “Bluetooth” and then used to provide position and travel information to the vehicle occupant. Such position and travel information is displayed on display 45b and / or provided in an audible signal generated by speech synthesizer 676. GPS data can also be sent directly from the stand-alone “Bluetooth®” enabled GPS receiver 808 to the mirror assembly. Alternatively, the GPS data may be a PDA 802 or notebook computer 804 that includes a GPS receiver or otherwise communicates with a stand-alone GPS receiver 808 or other device such as a phone 800a having a GPS receiver. To the mirror assembly indirectly. In addition, the phone number stored on the mobile phone, PDA, or notebook computer can be transmitted directly or indirectly to the mirror assembly 10 through a wireless link.

  The portable mobile phones 800a and 800b can be connected to the handset 806 through a wired or wireless link, such as a “Bluetooth®” wireless link. The handset 806 can also be coupled to the mirror assembly 10 through a “Bluetooth®” wireless link.

  The mirror assembly 10 can include various switches to control various telephone functions. These buttons can change function depending on the particular mode of operation currently being performed by the mirror circuit. For example, when a phone call is in progress, two of the switches on the mirror housing can be used to adjust the speaker volume. These same two switches can be used for different functions when a telephone call is not in progress. For example, these switches can be used to select the information display mode of display 45 and / or display 145 or to turn on the map lamp. A switch can be provided in the mirror assembly so that the user can select a cell phone or other device when it is detected that more than one phone or device is present. For example, if there are two mobile phones that are both paired with a mirror but do not have their respective priorities established for the use of hands-free microphones and speakers, the user You can choose which of them has priority.

  In response to vehicle noise sensed by the microphone, the loudspeaker volume can also be automatically adjusted. Further, if the system in the mirror knows that the microphone signal is transmitted over a “Bluetooth®” radio link, it is a unique signal generated on the “Bluetooth” radio link. To compensate for the loss, the gain of the microphone signal can be automatically adjusted before providing the signal to the “Bluetooth®” transceiver. This automatic gain adjustment function is particularly advantageous when the system uses a voice recognition function in a portable mobile phone and at the same time uses a microphone in the mirror.

  In order to facilitate the implementation of the “Bluetooth®” component in the mirror assembly, the mirror housing is a PCMCIA slot for accommodating plug-in “Bluetooth®” transceivers and / or WiFi transceivers. And an interface.

  In addition to the functions described above, any of the functions disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,166,698 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0032510A1 assigned to the present applicant may Can also be executed. The entire disclosure of this patent and published patent application is incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention has been described as a speaker, microphone subassembly, and telematics component associated with the rear view assembly. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various other vehicle accessories and components can be incorporated into the rear view assembly in whole or in part and in various combinations. Such vehicle accessories and components may be mounted in the interior or top or front of the mirror housing, the mirror mount, the mount to the mirror mount or housing, or the console associated with the rearview mirror assembly, or other housing. Can do. Furthermore, all such vehicle accessories can share components such as processors, sensors, power supplies, communication lines / channels, wire harnesses and plugs, displays, switches, antennas and the like. Other vehicle accessories, components, or features are further described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, the rear view assembly 10 includes a bezel 32 and a case 31. The bezel and case are combined to form a mirror housing for incorporating features in addition to the reflective element 40 and the information displays 45a and 45b. US Pat. Nos. 6,102,546, D410,607, 6,407,468, No. 6, assigned to the Applicant, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 420,800, and 6,471,362 describe examples of various bezel, case, and related button structures that can be used with the present invention.

  As described above, the rear view assembly 10 can include first and second lighting assemblies 118a and 118b. Various lighting assemblies and illuminators for use with the present invention are described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 5,803,579, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 6,335,548, 6,441,943, 6,521,916, 6,670,207, and 6,523,976, and the US assigned to the present applicant Patent publication numbers US2003 / 0043590A1 and US2004 / 0239243A1. Each illumination assembly preferably includes a reflector, a lens, and an illuminator (not shown). There may be two lighting assemblies, one that is generally arranged to illuminate the front passenger seat area and one that is arranged to illuminate the second general driver seat area. Alternatively, there may be only one lighting assembly that illuminates the areas of both seats and / or additional such as those that illuminate between the central console area, the overhead console area, or the front seat There may be a simple lighting assembly.

  As described above, the rear view assembly 10 can include a switch 130. Switches suitable for use with the present invention are commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,407,468, 6,420, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. No. 800, 6,426,568, and 6,471,362, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0024713A1 assigned to the present applicant. These switches include lighting assemblies, displays, mirror reflectivity, voice activated systems, compass systems, telephone systems, highway tollgate interfaces, telemetry systems, headlamp controllers, rainfall sensors, tire pressure monitoring systems, navigation systems, It can be incorporated to control lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control systems, etc. Any of the other displays or systems described in this specification or in the literature incorporated by reference can be incorporated anywhere in the relevant vehicle and can be controlled using switches.

  The mirror assembly 10 can also include first and second indicators 152. Various indicators for use with the present invention are described in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 5,803,579, 6,335, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. , 548, 6,441,943, 6,521,916, 6,670,207, and 6,523,976, and US Patent Publication No. US2003 assigned to the present applicant. / 0043590A1 and US2004 / 0239243A1. These indicators can indicate status of display, mirror reflectivity, voice activated system, compass system, telephone system, highway toll gate interface, telemetry system, headlamp controller, rain sensor, security system, etc. . Any of the other displays or systems described in this specification or in the literature incorporated by reference can be incorporated anywhere in the relevant vehicle and have a status indicated by an indicator.

  As also described above, the rear view assembly 10 may further include first and second light sensors 124 and 126 that serve as glare sensors and environmental sensors, respectively. Preferred optical sensors for use in the present invention are assigned to the assignee of the present application, US Pat. Nos. 5,923,027, 6,313, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. No. 457, No. 6,359,274, No. 6,379,013, and No. 6,402,328, and US Patent Application Publication Nos. US2002 / 0056806A1 and US2003 / 0127583A1. The glare sensor 124 and / or the environment sensor 126 automatically controls the reflectance of the self-dimming reflective element and the brightness of the information display and / or backlight. The glare sensor 124 can also be used to sense the headlamps of the following vehicle and the environmental sensor can be used to detect ambient lighting conditions in which the system is operating. In another embodiment, a sky sensor 129 can be arranged to detect light levels approximately above and ahead of the associated vehicle. The sky sensor 129 can be used to automatically control the reflectance of the self-dimming element, the external lighting of the controlled vehicle, and / or the brightness of the information display. The mirror assembly may further include a sun load sensor for sensing light levels toward the vehicle driver and occupant sides to control the vehicle temperature regulation system.

  Further, the mirror assembly 10 can include first, second, third, fourth, and fifth operator interfaces 130 disposed on the mirror bezel 32. Each operator interface is shown to include backlight information displays “A”, “AB”, “A1”, “C”, and “12”. It should be understood that these operator interfaces can be incorporated anywhere in the associated vehicle such as, for example, in a mirror case, accessory module, instrument panel, overhead / console, dashboard, seat, central console. Appropriate switch configurations are described in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 6,407,468, 6,420,800, 6th, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. , 426,568 and 6,471,362, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0024713A1 assigned to the present applicant. These operator interfaces include lighting assemblies, displays, mirror reflectivity, voice activated systems, compass systems, telephone systems, highway toll gate interfaces, telemetry systems, headlamp controllers, rainfall sensors, tire pressure monitoring systems, navigation systems Can control lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control system, etc. Any of the other displays or systems described in this specification or in the literature incorporated by reference can be incorporated anywhere in the relevant vehicle and controlled using one or more operator interfaces. Can do. For example, the user can program the display to represent predetermined information, or the display can be programmed to scroll through a series of information, or as soon as a predetermined event occurs Setpoints associated with certain actuators having associated sensor inputs can be entered to display certain information. In one embodiment, for example, a given display can be unilluminated until the engine temperature exceeds a threshold, and the display is then automatically set to display the engine temperature. In another example, a proximity sensor located at the rear of the vehicle can be connected to the controller and combined with a rearview mirror display to tell the driver the distance to the object, the display being proportional to the predetermined distance Can be configured as a length bar.

  Although specific locations and numbers of these additional features are shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, fewer or more individual devices can be used at any location within the associated vehicle and are also described herein. It should be understood that it can be incorporated as described in the incorporated references.

  As described above, a mirror mount 35 is included for mounting the mirror assembly in either a windshield or roof structure vehicle. Many accessories such as rain sensors, cameras, headlamp controllers, additional microprocessors, additional information displays, compass sensors, etc. can be incorporated into mount 35 or housing 154 attached to mount 35. Should be understood. These systems can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display.

  Electrical output signals from either or both of sensors 124 and 126 are used as inputs to a controller (not shown) to reflect the reflectivity of reflective element 40 and / or any one or all of displays 45a and 45b. Can control the brightness. Details of various control circuits for use with the present invention can be found in US Pat. No. 5,883,605, assigned to the present applicant, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 5,956,012, 6,084,700, 6,222,177, 6,244,716, 6,247,819, 6,249,369, 6, 392,783 and 6,402,328. These systems can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display.

  The rear view assembly also includes a compass sensor module located either within the housing 30 or mount 35 and an adjacent mirror assembly 10 or under the dashboard, such as an overhead console, central console, trunk, engine compartment, etc. And an accessory module 154 located everywhere in the relevant vehicle. The compass system described above can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display. An example of a suitable compass sensor is assigned to Applicants, “Magnetometer with dynamically adjustable bias setting and compass incorporating it,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,831. Suitable compass systems are described in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 6,023,229 and 6,140,933, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, and US patent applications. Publication number 2003 / 0167121A1 and PCT publication number WO 2004 / 076961A2.

  The controller (or controllers) used to control the compass system are mirror reflectivity, external light, rain sensor, compass, information display, windscreen wiper, heater, defroster, defogger, air conditioning Machine, telephone system, navigation system, security system, tire pressure monitoring system, garage door opening / closing transmitter, remote keyless entry, telemetry system, voice recognition system such as digital signal processor based voice activated system, and vehicle speed Can be at least partially controlled. The controller 522 (or controllers) receives signals from switches and / or sensors associated with any of the devices described herein or in the literature incorporated herein by reference. Other devices described in the literature described in or incorporated by reference may be operated automatically. The controller can be located at least partially outside of the mirror assembly, or can include a second controller anywhere within the vehicle or additional controllers throughout the vehicle. The individual processors may be configured to communicate in series, in parallel, via a “Bluetooth®” protocol or wireless communication, on a vehicle bus, on a CAN bus, or other suitable connection. it can. A multi-pin connector interface 964 can be provided for such external connections.

  External light control systems are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,990,469, 6,008,486, and 6, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. , 130,421, 6,130,448, 6,255,639, 6,049,171, 5,837,994, 6,403,942, 6,281 632, 6,291,812, 6,469,739, 6,465,963, 6,429,594, 6,587,573, 6,611,610 No. 6,621,616, 6,379,013, and 6,653,614, and US Patent Publication Nos. US2003 / 0107323A1, US2004 / 0008410A1, US2004 / 0021853. 1, and are described in US2004 / 0143380A1, it may be incorporated in accordance with the present invention. These systems can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display. As disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,587,573, both the compass sensor and image sensor array 155 can be housed in an accessory housing 154 attached to a mount 35.

  Moisture sensors and windshield haze detection systems are described in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 5,923,027, 6,313,457, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. No. 6,681,163, and 6,617,564. These systems can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display.

  Applicant's assigned US Pat. No. 6,262,831, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a power source for use with the present invention. These systems can be at least partially integrated into a common controller having an information display and / or can share components with the information display. Furthermore, the status of these systems and / or the devices controlled thereby can be displayed on an associated information display.

  The mirror assembly can further include one or more antennas for receiving and / or transmitting RF signals. Appropriate reception, transmission, and / or processing circuitry may be further included in or attached to the mirror assembly. Such antennas include mobile phone systems, “Bluetooth®” transmission / reception systems, remote keyless entry (RKE) systems, trainable garage door opening / closing systems, tire pressure monitoring systems, global positioning satellite systems, LORAN systems. Can be used for etc. Some of these systems can share a common antenna and, where appropriate, receive, transmit, process, and display circuitry. An example of a tire pressure monitoring system incorporated into a rearview mirror assembly is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,215,389, 6,6, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 696,935, 6,431,712, and 6,861,942. An example of a GPS system incorporated into a rearview mirror assembly is shown in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 6,166,698, 6,279, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 781, 6,396,446, and US Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0032510A1. An example of a LORAN system incorporated into a rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in commonly assigned US Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0193946A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of both a telephone / telematics system and a “Bluetooth®” system incorporated into a rearview mirror assembly is assigned to the applicant, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. It is disclosed in US Patent Application No. US2002 / 0032510A1. An example of a trainable garage door opening and closing system and RKE system incorporated into a rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,091,343, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  The mirror may further include an infrared (IR) transmitter / receiver for transmitting / receiving information to / from the mirror assembly, and possibly to the vehicle. An example of such a rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 6,407,712, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  The mirror assembly can further include one or more of the same or different types of displays. Examples of different types of displays include vacuum fluorescence, LCD, reverse LCD, LED, organic LED, dot matrix, backlight indicia, and the like. For displays intended to display a significant amount of information at the same time, the display disclosed in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 6,346,698 can be used. The entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. An example of a backlight indicia panel display is shown in commonly assigned US Pat. Nos. 6,170,956, 6,572,233, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. And 6,356,376. Various displays used in the rearview mirror are described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 6,356,376 and US Patent Application Publication No. US2002 / 0154379A1, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Is disclosed.

  The wiring for the vehicle accessory in the rearview mirror assembly housing can be routed along the windshield through the mounting bracket under the channel mount (if the mounting bracket is not already extended to the ceiling). An example of a rearview mirror assembly in which accessory wiring in the housing of the mirror assembly is routed through a mounting bracket is described in commonly assigned US Pat. No. 6, 467,919.

  Although the present invention has been described as being implemented using a sensor disposed within the housing of the rearview mirror assembly, the sensor can be mounted on the mounting leg or anywhere else on the rearview mirror assembly. Conceivable. Furthermore, any or all of the various components of the electronic compass of the present invention can be mounted anywhere in the vehicle. Certain embodiments of the present invention include land vehicles (ie, automobiles, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), trains, motorcycles, bicycles, moped bicycles, scooters, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles (ATVs), and It will further be appreciated that it is new and useful in vehicles such as military vehicles and other vehicles such as airplanes, ships and amphibious vehicles.

  Although the present invention has been described as utilizing a process in which signal outputs from magnetic sensing circuits are plotted against each other in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system, analog techniques also process the signals separately. Analyze and then compare the separate analysis results to arrive at a similar result.

  The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiment only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are exemplary only and limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims when interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law, including equivalent doctrines. It is to be understood that this is not intended.

1 is a front elevation view of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is an elevation view of the rear of the rearview mirror assembly of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the rearview mirror assembly of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B is a top plan view of the rearview mirror assembly of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B is a plan view of the lower portion of the rearview mirror assembly of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. FIG. 1B is an elevation view of the interior of the mirror casing of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the front of the microphone subassembly of the present invention. It is a top view of the upper part of the microphone subassembly of this invention. FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one end of the microphone subassembly of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the microphone subassembly shown in FIG. 4 taken along line VII-VII. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the microphone subassembly shown in FIG. 4 taken along line VIII-VIII. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the microphone subassembly shown in FIG. 4 taken along line IX-IX. It is a schematic top view of the microphone subassembly of the present invention. It is an assembly exploded perspective view of a part of microphone subassembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the front of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the front of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 6 is an elevation view of the front of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the front of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1B along line XVI-XVI. FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a modified version of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIGS. 1B and 16A. 1C is a cutaway elevational view of a portion of the rear of a modified version of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1C is a cutaway elevational view of a portion of the rear of a modified version of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1C is a cutaway elevational view of a portion of the rear of a modified version of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of a portion of another modified version of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIGS. 1B and 16A. FIG. 19 is a cutaway elevation view of the front of a rearview mirror assembly incorporating the structure shown in FIG. FIG. 5 includes plots showing frequency response curves of two rearview mirror assemblies with different port configurations. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electrical circuit diagram illustrating circuitry associated with a rearview mirror according to one embodiment. 1 is a block diagram of an electrical circuit diagram illustrating an electrochromic mirror / compass system that can be housed in a mirror housing of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electrical circuit diagram illustrating circuitry associated with a rearview mirror according to one embodiment. FIG. 24 is a block diagram of an electric circuit diagram showing a circuit capable of connecting the circuit of FIG. 23 on a vehicle bus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electrical schematic showing various wireless devices that can communicate with or through the rearview mirror assembly. 2 is an elevational side view of a mirror mount and mounting housing configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 26B is an elevational front view of the mirror mount and the mounting housing shown in FIG. 26A. FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of a mirror mount and mounting housing configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 27B is an elevational front view of the mirror mount and the mounting housing shown in FIG. 27A. It is a top view of the lower part of the mirror mount and mounting housing shown to FIG. 27A and 28B. FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of a mirror mount and mounting housing configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28B is a front elevation view of the mirror mount and the mounting housing shown in FIG. 28A. FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of a rearview mirror assembly configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29B is an elevation view of the front of the rearview mirror assembly shown in FIG. 29A. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cutaway internal view of the display of the rear view assembly of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Rearview mirror assembly 30 Mirror housing 40 Mirror element 110 1st printed circuit board 112 2nd printed circuit board 140a 1st microphone subassembly 140b 2nd microphone subassembly 400a 1st speaker 400b 2nd speaker

Claims (11)

A rear view assembly (10) for a vehicle,
A housing (30) for attachment to a vehicle;
A display (45) positioned in the housing;
A voice / data transceiver (585) associated with the housing for receiving wireless voice and data signals using a first wireless connection from a first communication device (800b) in the vicinity of the vehicle;
Wherein a housing is positioned (30) with said display (45) and said audio / data transceiver controller coupled to the (585) (588), the positioned in the voice / data transceiver (585) near A controller (588) for controlling the display (45) to display the wireless signal strength of the second communication device (810) communicating with the first communication device (800b) ,
The first communication device (800b) and the second communication device (810) are adapted to communicate via a second wireless connection of a wireless telephone network.
An assembly characterized by that. The rear-view assembly according to claim 1, wherein the display (45) is configured to display identification information of the first communication device (800b) to which a wireless connection is made. A hand-free microphone associated with a mounting structure for providing audio signals to the audio / data transceiver (585) ;
At least one hands-free speaker associated with the mounting structure for receiving audio signals from the audio / data transceiver (585) ;
The rear view assembly of claim 1, further comprising: A first communication device (800b) is a mobile phone (800), and said controller (588) determines whether it is within a range wherein the mobile phone of the voice / data transceiver having a predetermined identification code And exchanging data with the mobile phone (800) via the voice / data transceiver (585) to disable the microphone of the mobile phone (800) ,
The controller (588) allows speech to be picked up by the handsfree microphone and transmitted to the mobile phone via the voice / data transceiver (585) .
The rear view assembly according to claim 3. The controller (588) determines whether a mobile phone having a predetermined identification code is within the range of the voice / data transceiver (585) , and the controller (588) The controller is configured to establish priority for using the hands-free microphone and the hands-free speaker, and the controller exchanges data with the mobile phone through the voice / data transceiver, and the priority is Disable that microphone on the highest mobile phone,
The controller (588) allows utterances to be picked up by the hands-free microphone and transmitted to the highest priority mobile phone via the voice / data transceiver (585) .
The rear view assembly according to claim 3. 6. The rear view assembly according to claim 5, wherein the display (45) is configured to represent identification information of the mobile phone having the highest priority. The display (45) is configured to display identification information of all mobile phones within a range of the voice / data transceiver (585) and having a predetermined identification code. 5. The rear view assembly according to 5. The controller (588) operates in a pairing mode and an operating mode, during which the controller (588) provides a unique identification code for the device to which the voice / data transceiver is paired. While searching, discovering, obtaining, and during the mode of operation, the controller (588) determines whether the first communication device with the unique identification code is within range of the voice / data transceiver. And exchanges data with the first communication device (800b) via the voice / data transceiver, and during the operation mode, the controller (588) Li according to claim 1, characterized in that to prevent the exchange of certain data with the machine (585) and the first communication device is detected which has not been paired (800b) View assembly. The said display (45) is comprised so that the identification information of the 1st communication apparatus (800b) with which the said audio | voice / data transmitter / receiver (585) was made into a pair may be displayed. Rear view assembly as described. The rear view assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (30) is a mirror housing in which mirror elements are arranged. The housing (30) forms an acoustically separated internal space in at least two chambers;
A first speaker disposed in a first of the at least two chambers of the internal space of the housing (30) ;
The rear view assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

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